A Friend Can Change Everything
by Newbie89
Summary: Years before Hogwarts Harry makes a friend. His very first friend. Their bond goes far beyond friendship if you had to guess you would say they are in fact brothers. One day Harry's brother sees his black eye and decides to do something about it. And everything changes. This story is currently being rewritten as A Friend And Family Can Change Everything
1. Chapter 1: Finding

**A/N: Hello, as you may be able to tell. I am quite new to writing. Please leave reviews with your views on the story. Please no flames. Constructive criticism is welcome. Enjoy the story.**

Chapter One

It was a cold stormy night in September as John and Maria Ashwood were driving down the lonely country road. John gave his wife a half smile. "Well this has got to be the worst driving weather ever." John said trying to lighten the mood. Maria had her eyes shut and her hands over her ears. Not that she would have been able to see much if she had her eyes open with how hard the rain was coming down. She was deathly afraid of storms like this. It had always been this way since she was a child. John knew he could never understand the fear but he would do whatever he could for his wife. A frown came over his face as he was looking over at her knowing he could do nothing now. He would just try to get home as soon as possible. The look of pure terror that came with every clash of thunder and bolt of lightning ate at John.

John let out a sigh and turned back to the road just as another lightning bolt lit up everything. Maria screamed. John immediately swerved to miss what was right in front of him. The car began to spin out on the muddy road. And went right into a ditch. "John! Did we hit it!?" Maria still screaming in panic and looking at the window toward the object lying in the road. Lightning lit up the area once again. That is when John and Maria saw what was in the middle of the road. It was a child's body.

"Oh My God! Maria it's a child! Stay here! I'll go get him!" John shouted over Maria's cries of surprise. John didn't even bother with the umbrella he just ran out. "Hey! Kid! Can you hear me?" John shouted in the raging storm. No one would be able to hear him but he just kept trying as he ran towards the kid. Trying his best to block the wind and pelting rain with his arms he started to think that this storm was purposefully trying to keep him away from this child. Well he would show the storm. Step by step inch by inch he got closer.

Back in the car Maria was in shock until she felt the rock of the car and noticed that her husband was no longer in the drivers seat. Normally the only thing in her mind would be to get away from all this noise but the thought of the child they almost hit drove that thought straight out of her mind and she dove into the back seat of the car to find the blankets that they had used earlier.

John had done it. He had finally reached the boy. God this rain sucked. John could only see a few feet in front of his face. John reached down and picked him up. 'God how much worse can this storm get' John thought as he reached down to pick the boy up. As soon as he picked him up John ran back to the car and handed the boy to Maria. Maria quickly took the boy and pulled him onto her lap. The moment she laid eyes on him she gasped. This boy could only be six or seven at the most. And what the hell was he doing out in this storm naked. She quickly started to dry the boy off with one of the blankets when she got a better look. The boy was turning blue. Maria immediately grabbed the boys neck looking for a pulse. It was there but feint. They needed to warm this boy up and fast and a blanket was most definitely not going to cut it. She started to take off her top. She looked at her husband who had just finished tossing his drenched coat into the backseat. "Keep drying him. As soon as I'm done taking this off hand him back to me. He is too cold we need to warm him up quick."

John understood and knew that his wife knew what she was doing. She was a police woman after all. So he started to dry off the boy as quick as he could. He wasn't quite done by the time his wife had finished undressing but warmth came before dryness. He quickly passed the boy to Maria and turned the heater on full. "Is he going to be alright?"

"I don't know. I just don't know." Maria said through sobs. " I think so but... he's so cold Jonathan." Maria was so scared for the boy. Johns eyes widened his wife rarely ever called him Jonathan and when she did it never was good. All he could do was watch as his wife wrapped her arms around the boy to try to bring him back from the cusp of hypothermia. After a few minutes John saw that his wife's breathing had slowed and her eyes had closed. She had been so frightened and then jumped into action to help that boy he was surprised she lasted as long as she had. He quietly turned off the interior lights and leaned his chair back and just watched the two in the passenger seat. Eventually he too succumbed to sleep.

The morning light shining through the window is what woke John up. He just looked around a little confused before the events of the previous evening came rushing back causing him to jolt upright. He got a loud hush for his trouble though. "He is still sleeping." Maria whispered to him. He couldn't help but notice the joyful smile that crept onto her face as she gazed back at the child in her lap.

"Here. You should put this back on." John said as he handed his wife her blouse. She gave him an amused look but accepted the blouse. It took her a little time to put it on without disturbing the boy. She then took the blanket and wrapped the boy in it being careful not to disturb him. John noticed that her smile just kept on getting brighter. John just couldn't help giving his wife a knowing smile. "I know that look." John said just a little bit sadly. Maria looked up at him with a questioning look that held a little bit too much innocence. "We can't keep him."

Maria's face changed immediately. "And why not? Look at him!" She hissed. "He was naked in the middle of the street dying for heavens sake!"

"Maria we have to try to find his parents. Wouldn't you want the same?" John asked.

"Any child of mine would not have been here in the first place!" Maria almost snarled. John knew he needed to proceed with caution when his wife got like this. Although he did have to agree with her about one thing. If they had a child he most certainly would not have been there. He couldn't imagine any parent that would allow that. "John..."

John started the car. Maria looked over at him. "Well we can't very well stay here. Let's go home. We can figure out what to do then. His wife's face instantly had a triumphant grin. God did John like that look and couldn't keep his own grin off his face. He stole a short glance at the boy. He was a good looking lad. He found himself thinking that if they could have had children...no. He needed to stop that line of thinking right there. Yes they wanted children especially Maria but a stray bullet put an end to those dreams a few years ago. He can still vividly remember that night when he got the call from the station that his wife had been taken to the hospital.

He sped all the way there only to find out there was nothing the doctors could tell him other than she was still in surgery. That was the worst night of his life. There were other officers there waiting for word. One of his wife's friends, Emily, took him aside and had him sit when it became apparent he was going to wear a hole in the floor. "John! John! Look at me! She is going to be fine!" She yelled but John didn't respond. SLAP

"What the hell!" John yelled but quieted almost immediately. "Emily, when did you get here?"

"Well I have been here the entire time. I was part of the operation after all." She answered.

"What Operation?" John was still a little out of it. "What are you talking about?"

"Bloody hell. Didn't they tell you what happened?" John just shook his head. "Well we got a tip about a drug house we have been trying to track down. We were the team sent to check it out. As bad as what I am about to say sounds please understand that this is our job." John just kept looking at her. "Well we went in and we found what we were looking for. And then what we weren't. The drug dealers were waiting for us and there was a fire fight. Eventually we overtook them and they are now in custody. But two of us didn't make it out alive. Maria is very lucky." John looked like he was about to blow up but Emily cut him off. "No! Listen, she could have died. It may not seem like it but Maria is very lucky to be alive. And I am sure she will stay that way. It was a belly wound. The bullet went through her vest and into her gut and it stayed there. The vest should have stopped it but at least it slowed it down enough so it didn't go through her." John just put his head in his hands and started crying. Emily stayed by him and did her best to comfort him but she felt just as bad. Emily couldn't help but think that if she did something different maybe her best friend wouldn't be in surgery right now.

About two hours later a bloodied surgeon strode out of the operating room. "Is there a Mr. Jonathan Ashwood here?"

John jumped up immediately and almost ran to the surgeon. "I'm Jonathan Ashwood. How is she? Is my wife alright?" The doctor looked as if he was searching for the right words but his silence was taking a toll on John. "Gods damn it! Tell me!"

" Mr. Ashwood please calm down your wife is alive but there were some complications. Please come with me." The surgeon then led John down the hall to a room. Inside was Maria lying on a bed with tubes everywhere. "Mr. Ashwood your wife will be fine. She is currently sedated and will wake up in a few hours. Unfortunately she was shot in the lower abdomen. The bullet grazed the small intestine and her Fallopian tubes. Do you understand what I am telling you?"

John was just happy that his wife was going to be okay. " Um, yes she is going to be okay. She got hit in the small intestine but what are Fallopian tubes?" The doctor gained a rather mournful look.

"Well the Fallopian tubes are connected to the ovaries and are a vital part of a woman's reproductive system." John did not like where this was going. " And they were torn to shreds so they had to be removed." No, please no " We also had to remove the ovaries as well. So I am afraid that" No don't say it. " she will not be able to bare children. I am so sorry."

John couldn't hold it in anymore everything that happened that night all just came crashing down on him. He ignored the tears in his eyes and the wrenching pain in his gut as he ran to his sleeping wife. He picked up her hand and pressed a kiss on its back. " Don't worry love it will be okay." John said tears streaming down his face as he started running a hand through his wife's hair. " It will all be okay love. So long as we have each other we will be okay." While John was tending to his sleeping wife he didn't hear the doctor close the door behind him to give the husband and wife some privacy. After a hour John cried himself to sleep. Still sitting in his chair he slumped forward onto the bed still clutching Maria's hand.

In the wee hours in the morning Maria's eyes fluttered open. A small moan escaped her lips as she looked around trying to get her bearings. The last thing she remembered was being pulled out of the drug house by Emily. 'Shit John isn't going to like this. I need to call him and let him know what happened and that I am alright before the station does.' she tried to pull the sheets down but her hand wouldn't move. It was firmly clasped in her husbands. He was asleep but still wouldn't let go. How she loved this man. Maria couldn't bring herself to wake her husband he had obviously been crying. Maria ran the fingers of her free hand through John's hair. Maria couldn't help but chuckle at the moan her menstruations had elicited. "God I love you John. And if you keep this up I always will." She couldn't help but smile at her still sleeping husband.

A few minutes later John arched his back and stretched finally letting go of his wife's hand. "I needed that." John's eyes popped open the moment he heard a giggling sound coming from the bed. " You're awake!" John nearly shouted before pulling his wife into a hug.

"I would quite agree that you did need that little nap of yours." Maria said through tears of joy. " I am so happy your here." It's true she needed him and here he was. 'He was always here for her and that is one of the many reasons I love him' she thought as a brilliant smile crossed over her face. Unfortunately John chose that time to move to pull her closer and aggravating her wound.

John quickly pulled away. "Oh my! I'm sorry love! Are you okay?" Maria gingerly laid back down and slowly nodded her head. "Should I get the doctor?"

"Oh no please don't. You know how I feel about doctors." John just gave her a knowing look. "Fine, go fetch your precious doctor. They will be in soon anyway now that I am awake." She grumbled as John just smiled at her. "Oh go on lets get this over with."

John got up and gave his wife an amused grin as he left her hospital room. He went right to the nurses station "Ah, excuse me but my wife has just awoken. If you could please send in the doctor it would be much appreciated." His wife might have something against doctors but he always got uneasy around nurses. They just never seemed to have a decent bedside manner. A shrift answer from the floor nurse later and he went back to the room. "Well your nurses seem... pleasant." Now he was receiving the knowing look. "Well they are no worse than any others. How is your stomach?"

"My stomach is empty." Maria grinned. "Care to find something to fill it?"

"Ha Ha" John said sarcastically I was talking about the hole in your belly."

"So was I." Maria just couldn't help herself. John finally gave in. If she felt good enough to screw with him she wasn't in pain. At least not a lot and the doctor was on the way anyhow.

"Maria um before the doctor gets here there is something I need to tell you." John paused as he looked into her eye's. God he didn't want to tell her. Hell he didn't want it to be true but the sooner she knew the better. "The bullet...well it" just then the doctor walked in.

"Hello Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood I am Dr. Longfellow. How are you feeling this morning?"

"I'm rather hungry actually." Maria said then she noticed the dumbfounded look on her husbands face. "What? I told you I was hungry." John just rolled his eyes with a chuckle.

The doctor joined in with a chuckle of his own. Maria even started thinking this doctor might be alright. "Well that is certainly good to hear. Sometimes the sedative causes nausea, obviously not the case this time." Longfellow said with a smile. "Your breakfast should be up soon. I do have some things to talk to you both about though." He then turned to John "Did you happen to tell your wife about what we talked about last night?"

"I was actually about to when you walked in."

"I see. Well Mrs. Ashwood I have some good news and some bad news. The good news is that you will make a healthy recovery."

"And the bad news?" Maria asked in a quavering voice. John immediately went to her side and grabbed her hand. He wrapped his other arm around his wife giving her his support.

"The bullet did some serious damage while inside you. Now you will recover even recover enough to go back on duty if you so wished. However the bullet did some serious damage to your Fallopian tubes."

Maria's eyes flew wide "No" She barely made any noise. "Please no." Maria couldn't believe what was happening. She loved her job and her husband but the one thing she wanted more than anything was a family and children of her own. Now she couldn't not her and not her husband this couldn't be happening.

"I am afraid so. I am so sorry."

Maria was done. She just broke down and held onto John crying into his shoulder.

That was assuredly the worst day of his life. To see his wife so lost. John pulled himself out of his thoughts just as they pulled into the driveway. "Here we are. I can't believe he is still asleep. Why don't take him upstairs and put him in bed. I'll see if I can borrow some clothes from the Thompsons. I will start breakfast when I get back." Getting a nod from Maria he started to back out of the driveway again. Most of the time it is convenient living in the country this just isn't one of them.

Maria had just put the boy in bed and was heading downstairs. "Back already?"

John was in the kitchen cooking. " It is only about a minutes drive." He replied with a grin. "You know I was thinking maybe we could help out the police by fostering him here until his parents are found." Seeing the appalled look on his wife's face he quickly headed her off. "Now listen we can't keep him here. You used to be a police officer you know the law. We have to try to find his parents or guardians as the case maybe."

"But" Maria started looking quite distraught but she was once again cut off.

"But nothing Maria. You know the law." John took a deep breath before continuing. " However once they are found there is nothing saying we cannot press charges against them for obvious negligence and probable abuse. Once charges are established we can ask the courts for temporary custody on the grounds that you are an ex-cop and we did take him in. And then perhaps if things go well, which they will with your testimony against them, we can pursue adoption." John finished with a sly smile just before he bit into a slice of bacon. Maria on the other hand couldn't stop the brilliant smile on her face she just ran and tackled him to the ground and gave him the most amazing kiss that showed him exactly how she felt about the plan.

"You are such a sneaky bastard and I love you for it!" Maria kisses him again and again.

"Well it is my job. I am a magician after all." laughed John. "Now how about some breakfast."

 **A/N: Hope you liked it. I will be updating about once a week. But who knows maybe more. Feel free to pm me.**


	2. Chapter 2: YES

**A/N: I hope you enjoy chapter 2. I got some positive reviews and just couldn't get the story out of head. So here it is. Don't forget let me know what you like or don't like. I'm still learning. Enjoy**

Jonathan was standing over the sink cleaning up breakfast when Maria came back down the stairs. "So how is the boy doing?" he asked

"He isn't really talking at the moment. He doesn't seem scared it's more like he's confused. But at least he doesn't seem injured." Maria said with a forced smile. " I mean he kind of kept the bed between us when he woke up so I just left the clothes on the bed and told him there was food when he was ready to come down." Maria couldn't help but let a tear slip down her cheek.

John hurriedly put the pan down and went to wrap his arms around his wife, " Look at it from his point of view. He just woke up in a strange bed in a strange house with strange people. What did you expect his reaction to be. Remember he was asleep for everything that happened. To be honest he might have amnesia. After all what good thing could lead to the position we found him in last night?" John said comfortingly as he gave his wife a small squeeze.

"Your right I'm just overreacting. That's all." She said with a small smile as she leaned into him. "I'm sure he will be down soon enough. He has to be hungry after all. Where is it by the way?"

John just pointed to the kitchen table. "Right there love. It will stay warm for a little while. At least long enough for the boy to make his way down here I'm sure." Just as John finished his sentence a thumping could be heard coming down the stairs. "Speak of the devil" at that John and Maria just chuckled. It didn't take long for the boy to make his way to the kitchen. The couple had to hold in their laughter at what they were seeing. The boy was literally following his nose to the kitchen sniffing every couple of steps. "Hey there." John said startling the boy. The boy looked over to see John hugging his wife from behind just looking at him with a grin on his face. After a few seconds apparentaly their little starring match was over because the boy pointed to the plate of food and then back to himself. "Yep that plate is all yours buddy." The boy immediately sat down at the table and started stuffing himself with plateful of food. "Oi slow down there slick the food isn't going anywhere." The boy just looked up at him and nodded. 'Well' John thought 'at least I got a nod this time.' "Would you mind if we sat down?" The boy shook his head. "Go ahead love I'll grab us some tea and the kid some orange juice."

As her husband went off to the fridge Maria went and sat down across from the boy. "So do you like the food?" She got an enthusiastic nod as a response and just had to smile." My husband can definitely cook that's for sure. Good thing too because I'm worthless in the kitchen. My name is Maria by the way. What's yours?" She got a shake of the head. 'Well that's disheartening' she thought. "Is there a reason you won't tell me?" A nod. "Can you tell me the reason?" A nod. "Well what is the reason?" The boy then pointed at his bangers and mash. "Because your eating?" A nod. 'Well at least he has an excuse for not talking now.' still she couldn't help thinking that she was beginning to like this kid and his cheek. "Try not to eat to fast or you might get the hiccups." It didn't matter though he kept right on going. Well that is until he did indeed get the hiccups.

"You should listen to her. Maria is pretty smart after all. " John said while depositing a large glass of orange juice in front of the kid and gave his wife an adoring look. "We aren't going to take it away from you, you know." John told him with a wink as he took the seat next to his wife. That seemed to get through to the lad and he started to eat a little slower. If only just. And there the threesome sat in a companionable silence waiting for the little one to finish eating while the adults enjoyed their morning tea. Eventually the boy finished and finish he did not even a crumb was left nor drop of orange juice. "Well why don't you two chat while I clean up." John said reaching for the plate and glass. "It's one of my many chores. Beware of Maria, she is a slave driver. How will I ever lift this plate." John told the boy winking and making a spectacle of himself trying to lift the dishes. That is until Maria slapped his leg playfully. "See what did I tell you. I better get going before she gets the whip!" John laughed with another wink which elicited a chuckle and smile from the boy, the first that they have seen. "You're up." he whispered to his wife as he headed to the sink.

Maria just stared at her husband in disbelief. How did he do it. He was a bloody natural with the lad. Every time she had even tried to talk to him the best she got out of him was a nod and in comes her husband and makes the kid laugh and smile. That was it she obviously would need lessons. Unfortunately the teacher was busy washing dishes. Well here goes nothing, "So can you tell me your name now?" She asked with the smile she could not keep off her face when the boy was around.

"My name is Merlyn."

"Merlyn?" The boy, Merlyn, nodded. 'Oh boy John is going to freak!' Maria thought to herself. "Merlyn is a very nice name. Do you have a last name?" Merlyn just shrugged. 'We are back to this are we' Maria thought shaking her head. "You don't know if you have a last name?" A nod. "What is the last thing you remember before waking up here?" A shake of the head. "You don't remember anything before waking up?" A nod. Oh dear, what are we going to do. "Merlyn why don't you wait here I'll get you some orange juice. Would you like that?"

"Yes, please." Merlyn answered with a wavering voice.

Maria just beamed at him. A minute later Merlyn had another large glass of orange juice and Maria was in the kitchen with her husband. "John...what do we do he has amnesia. He can't even remember his last name. What could those horrible guardians of his have done to cause this?" Maria was crying thinking of all the possible things that were done to this boy. "Oh when I get my hands on them prison time will be the least of their worries." Maria was practically snarling by the end.

John could tell she was ready to go on the warpath. He wrapped her up in his arms "Love listen to me. They will get whats coming to them. But for now our focus needs to be Merlyn. We need to take him to a doctor first and foremost. While we do that why don't you call your friends down at the station and get the ball rolling."

With both John's talk and some calming breaths she finally came back to herself. "You're right. So let's get started. I'm sure Merlyn has finish his orange juice my now." She said as a smile started to work its way back onto her face. They made their way back to the boy. "Merlyn did you enjoy your juice?"

Merlyn nodded but then added "I have never had it before. It was very good. Thank you."

Maria was stunned for two reasons. First that was the most Merlyn had ever said to either of them, and second how could someone never have had orange juice! "Well when we get back you can have some more. Would you like that?" A nod. 'Baby steps' Maria thought. "Right now we are going to take you to a doctor to make sure you are alright." As soon as she uttered the word doctor Merlyn froze. "Whats wrong? Do you not like doctors?" Merlyn vigorously shook his head. 'Well at least we are alike in more ways then just being cheeky' Maria thought. "I don't like doctors either. But we will be with you the entire time. Okay? We won't let anyone hurt you. Can you trust me?" Maria asked while kneeling down to get on his level. Merlyn just nodded slowly and then gingerly reached out and gently took Maria's hand. Maria squeezed his hand gently and stood up leading the boy to the car. She wiped tears of joy from her eyes. What is going on. This boy is making her so emotional. Is this what it means to be a mother? She was so busy trying to sort things out that she didn't notice John watching the entire scene from the kitchen doorway with a giant smile on his face.

John was ecstatic with the new turn of events. Merlyn was talking to Maria, and even held her hand. He had never seen Maria look as happy as she had the moment the boy touched her hand. Without further thought John picked up the phone and dialed for the police station.

The phone rang a few times but soon an operator picked up. "Hello, Westminster station. How may I direct your call?"

"I would like to talk to Captain Stalks please." John replied.

"Very well. Please stay on the line."

"Hello, this is Captain Stalks. Who am I speaking to?" The voice was all irritated business.

"Hey Emily, it's John."

"John!" The irritation and business was gone from her voice and replaced by joy. " My god man, how are you? How's Maria? It's been so long. Maybe we should get together for drinks..." Emily started rambling after hearing from her old friend.

As much as John would like to chit chat there was a purpose to the call. "Em...Em...Emily!" Finally she stopped talking. John really did like her but she could ramble. "Em something happened last night." He heard her breath hitch. "No we're fine. But we found a young boy. He seems to have amnesia so we are taking him to the doctors to get him checked out. Can you meet us at Dr. Samson's please?"

"Oh my... of course I will. Let me look through missing persons to see if there is anyone reported missing."

"Alright we will see you soon." John then hung up the phone and headed out to the car.

At the car Maria was having a rather interesting time with Merlyn. "Come on now it is perfectly safe." Merlyn just shook his head and pointed at Maria. "I'm safe?" She was a little confused now but received a nod. "You feel safe with me?" An excited nod followed that one. A small tear escaped as she bit her lip and felt a warm glow spread through her. "Well then where do you want to sit?" Merlyn just pointed to Maria and then to the front seat. "You want to sit with me?" A vigorous nod. "Alright lets get settled then." This would be a little awkward but Maria couldn't be happier with the seating arrangements. And Merlyn felt safe with her. She had to be honest that felt good. No, more than good, amazing. After a little bit of careful manuvering she found herself buckled in with the most adorable little boy.

John closed the door and locked it behind him. When he turned around the sight that greeted him made him laugh. There was Maria trying to fit the boy, Merlyn, on her lap. John walked over to the car. By the time he got there everything seemed sorted out with the two in the front seat looking rather content. "Comfortable are we?" John asked in a playful tone.

"Hey don't look at me." Maria pointed at Merlyn who was in her lap all curled up against her. "It was the kids idea."

"You don't seem to mind" John returned playfully. Maria just huffed and turned her head away. Once again John couldn't help but laugh at his wife's playfulness. He loved it when she was this way. She would only play like this when she was happy, which he wished she always was. Just as they were leaving the driveway John remembered Emily. "Love, Emily is going to meet us at the doctors. She is looking into missing persons for us now. She will probably bring someone from child services too now that I think about it."

"Oh I forgot all about calling." Maria said shocked and a little disapointed. "I'm sorry John."

"Don't worry about it you had your hands full at the time...Still do as a matter of fact." John laughed with a wink. Maria joined in shortly after.

Merlyn just looked up at the couple as a smile graced his face. Merlyn might not have any memory but he did know one thing, he really liked these people. With that thought he curled up in Maria's lap. And with her arms around him fell asleep. What seemed all to soon he felt a hand on his shoulder waking him up. "Hmm."

"Wake up little man." Came Johns voice. "I know your tired and if it were up to Maria I don't think you would ever leave her lap, but we need to go see the doctor." John noticed Merlyn squeeze his wife at the mention of doctor. He looked at his wife who mouthed that Merlyn didn't like doctors. 'Oh dear lord another one.' John mouthed back only to receive a disapproving look from Maria. "Alright, alright I give." John shouldn't have but he smiled. He just loved her pouty faces. "We do need to get in though. The doc" John started but stopped at the look his wife gave him "um...we have an appointment after all." he wisely finished. "Come on." John said as he helped extract Merlyn from the car. The moment Merlyn was out of the car he quickly grabbed John's hand and the very moment it became available he grabbed Maria's as well. The husband and wife gave each other a quick look with a smile and then gazed down at Merlyn. The threesome quickly made their way into the doctor's office.

The couple decided that they would all stay together. A decision made due to the fact that Merlyn refused to let go of their hands. That fact also made filling out the question sheet a little difficult. So John held the clip board while Maria filled it out. They just sat in the waiting room until the nurse came to get them. The wait wasn't so bad though they did have Merlyn after all. Eventually the nurse did come and get them. She showed them into an examination room. The room was rather plain but Dr. Abrams, who turned out to be a rather portly man, arrived soon after so it didn't really matter.

"So who do we have here?" Dr. Abrams asked in a rather jovial voice. Merlyn quickly hid behind Maria.

"I am sorry doctor," John apologized, " however Merlyn does not seem to be a very big fan of doctors."

"I see well I will do my best to change his mind. Why don't I start with this." the doctor said as he pulled a sucker from his shirt pocket. Merlyn just looked up at John and Maria who nodded at him. Merlyn gingerly reached out and grabbed the sucker and quickly retreated. "There see that, I am not so bad am I?" He then turned to who he assumed were the parents. "So Mr. and Mrs. ..."

"Ashwood" Maria supplied.

"Ashwood. Well Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood what brings your son here?"

"Well he is not exactly our son," began John until he was interrupted by a "Yet!" from Maria. John just gave a small smile as he continued. "Well let me start at the beginning last ni..." John was interrupted yet again except that this time it was by a knock on the door. A nurse popped her head into the room.

"Excuse me doctor but there is a police officer asking to see the Ashwoods." the nurse announced. The doctor looked at the Ashwoods with shock and some weariness on his face. However his look changed to one of confusion when he heard Mr. Ashwood speak.

"Oh that must be Emily. Can you bring her to the examination room please." John said. The doctor seemed to relax, "I told her to meet us here. I hope that is alright?"

"Of course. I am just not used to police officers asking for my patients." The doctor tried to laugh it off.

There was a knock on the door and in popped Emily Stalks. "Emily!" Maria squealed "How are you?" she made to get up but a tug on her arm kept her down. She looked down and saw Merlyn hiding behind her even more than before. It must be all these new people. "It's alright Merlyn, this is Emily. A very good friend of mine. She just came to say hello. Why don't you say hello?" Merlyn slowly came out from behind Maria and started toward Emily. Maria felt another tug and realized that she was apparently going as well. "Emily meet Merlyn."

"Hello Merlyn." Emily said getting down on a knee. "How are you?" A nod was all she got as an answer. "I see. Do you like Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood?" This time there was no nod instead he turned and hugged Maria's leg. Maria's face instantly lit up. "I'll take that as a yes." Emily said with a bit of a giggle. She knew that Maria wanted children more than anything. Especially as she was there that fateful night. Just then watching Maria run her fingers through the boy's hair did she realize exactly how much she wanted children.

"Maria why don't you stay here while I go into the hall with Emily. It is getting a little crowded in here." John said nodding toward Merlyn who seemed to be feeling a little claustrophobic. Maria nodded and gave him a swift kiss. Just as the door was closing behind John he heard his wife say "Let me start at the beginning..."

"Thanks for getting here so quickly Emily." John said as he gave her a hug. "This has all been quite a whirlwind for us. If you can imagine."

Emily laughed at that. "Yes I can imagine so don't you worry about it. But I was able to pull a few strings, and of course my position comes with a few perks. Anyways I have some good news, there are no missing persons reports that fit Merlyn's description." John looked a little puzzled. "Which means that he is now under the preview of child services." John was a liitle startled. He had not prepared for this eventuality. He thought he would have had more time. Now Merlyn might be taken by the government and sent to some home. He needed a plan and needed it now and he knew it. "So like I said my rank comes with some perks as well as a favor I called in. I am now Merlyn's case worker." She said with a conspiratorial smile. John's mind went blank. WHAT?!

"What does this mean?" John asked trying not to sound too excited in case he was wrong. 'Please don't let me be wrong!' John thought.

"What it means is that I have responsibility of making sure that any home young Merlyn is apart of is a good one." She could see the gears in John's mind working and had to bite her lip to keep herself from smiling. She was about to continue when the door to the exam room opened making John jump. Out came the doctor followed by a somber Maria and an impassive Merlyn holding Maria's hand.

John took a few deep breaths to calm down before turning to Maria. "So" began John clearing his head, "what did the doctor have to say?" he didn't like the look on Maria's face.

"Well there are a couple of things that could have caused the amnesia. One is a blow to the head but the doctor said that it was unlikely after he gave Merlyn's head a quick look. The second would be trauma. John.." Maria couldn't continue she just started crying into his shoulder for the umpteenth time today it seemed. It didn't matter John new exactly what she was thinking. How could anyone do something so horrible to a little boy. Especially such an adorable one. John rubbed her back. It took a few minutes but she eventually calmed down. But this time it was mostly due to Merlyn pulling her down to give her a hug. After that Maria just couldn't cry anymore. She just picked up the boy and held him for a while. Maria put him down and wiped her eyes clear of all tears with a smile.

"Wow!" Emily breathed. "What happened to you?"

"Well.." Maria said with a shrug, "Merlyn just has that effect on me it seems." Maria gave a quick laugh while smiles adorned the faces of her best friend and husband. "So?" She asked with one last sniffle coupled with a chuckle. "What news do you bring?"

"Well, we have no idea who Merlyn is or who his guardian's were." Emily told her. Maria's head popped up.

"Wait, were?" She asked her best friend hoping this meant what she thought it did. Emily just looked at Maria with a smile on her face.

"Yes, were. With my new rank and a few favors I have been made this lad's caseworker." Emiliy smiled as she tortured her friend. Maria was practically bouncing with anticipation. "Now normally we have to wait to see if the child and perspective parents are a good fit." Maria took a sharp breath at 'parents', " But as I am the caseworker and I can cut through red tape like butter." John and Maria were both holding their breath. "How would you two like to become parents?"

Both John and Maria opened their mouths and said, "YES!" Maria bent down and immediately picked up Merlyn and pulled him into a hug. Her eye's then popped wide open, she immediately set Merlyn down again. Merlyn had a large grin on his face. He was really liking these hugs. "Honey, we have a very important question to ask you." She looked up at her husband getting an encouraging nod. "How would you like to come live with us?"

Merlyn only hesitated for a moment before shouting out "YES!"

 **A/N: Well i hope you enjoyed it. I wonder how many of you thought that the boy was Harry. Don't worry this is not an OC centric story this is a protagonist centric story. Which means all the protagonists get their spot in the light. So don't worry. As always please let me know what you think. Until next time.**


	3. Chapter 3: Frozen

**A/N: Hello everyone. I know that I said that I would be updating once a week. Well obviously I am updating alot quicker than that. I just can't seem to get this story out of my head. This chapter is a little shorter than the previous ones. The reason is that the end came around quicker than intended but that means i will probably have the next chapter out tomorrow which will be a longer one. I hope you enjoy and please review to tell me what you think.**

When John and Maria heard Merlyn's answer they scooped him up and brought him into a heartfelt embrace. "Welcome to the family Merlyn Ashwood." John said to his new son while Maria was giving Merlyn's cheek a kiss.

As her friends fawned over their new soon to be son. Emily just stood there close to tears watching her two best friends. After a few minutes she realized that this was not precisely the most appropriate venue for a celebration. "Hey look I like a good party as much as the next gal, however don't you think that the middle of the doctor's office is a rather strange place to have it?" She pointed out to her friends. "How about we head back to your place. I've got all the papers with me in the car so we can take care of everything tonight." Emily told them. 'God they fit together perfectly. Maybe I should think about settling down soon." She thought to herself after seeing their happiness. "Come on group we are blocking traffic." She laughed as she lead the way out.

The ride home was a rather entertaining affair, what with Maria preening over Merlyn the entire way, Saying things like 'You are so handsome' and 'You will be such an amazing man just like your father'. To be honest John couldn't help but feel a little proud at some of the things his wife mentioned. After about twenty minutes they made it home. Although two of the passengers hadn't notice. It wasn't until John opened the passenger side door and gave a little cough that both Maria and Merlyn came out of their revelry. "Well come on you two." John said. "Let's get cooking. Tonight we party!" Maria just smiled while Merlyn started to pull both his new parents to their house.

Emily watched them take off in their car smiling and laughing. " You know, I never thought of myself as family woman, however after watching them I am seriously considering it." she thought out loud and she did...for about ten seconds. 'Nah, I'm a cop, we don't do family. Well I better get going. I don't want to be late for the party. Speaking of which no party is complete without a cake." Emily bit her lip. She was on a diet after all. 'Ah, screw it!'

The new family was now in the kitchen of their home. John was getting pots and pans going on the stove while Maria was perusing the fridge trying to decide what they would be having. Merlyn was carefully observing his new parents from his seat on the island counter top his legs swinging off the side.

"I have an idea. Merlyn, why don't you pick dinner? What would you like?" Maria asked. Merlyn just pointed to the top shelf. Maria followed his finger to, surprise surprise, the orange juice. Maria just laughed. "Okay okay, I think even I can cook that." The statement got John's attention and it seemed as though he was about to protest that particular statement, as there was nothing his wife could cook. The rebuttal died with an understanding chuck as she took the container of orange juice out of the fridge. "Honey, I just had a thought. Why don't you make one of your amazing pizzas. Hmm? Please." Maria asked taking a break from pouring and put all her concentration on giving her husband her best puppy dog eyes.

John couldn't help but to surrender to the power of his wife's eyes. "Alright alright, turn the eyes off. I'll make some pizza."

Now an hour later there was a made from scratch pizza in the oven. Now normally when John made pizza the kitchen got a little messy. This time however it looked like a disaster area. Not only was there flour all over the counter, cabinets, and floor but also all over the Ashwoods as well. With the pizza in the oven it was time to clean up. Maria took Merlyn upstairs to get him cleaned up and into some clean clothes as well. Just as Jonathan was going to start cleaning the kitchen the doorbell rang.

At the sound of the of the bell John looked up toward the door. 'Ah it must be Emily.' He thought. "Finally." As he made his way to the door John caught the sight of himself in a mirror. ' Wow that is a lot of flower. But this does provide me with a singular opportunity.' John thought grinning maniacally towards the door. 'This should be fun. Hehehe." John then crept to the door and opened it at quickly as he could while shouting "BOO!" but before he could even finish the "OO" he found a gun pointed right at his face. "Whoa! Note to self. Never try to scare a cop." John gulped out. "Please don't shoot me Em." John said with a slight quiver in his voice.

"God damn it John! What the hell is wrong with you? And...what happened to your face?" Emily started in on John just as soon as she had recovered enough to start breathing again.

"Too many things. And his would be flour." John answered with a smile now that the gun was out of his face and safely back in it's holster.

"What? Did you just crush the great dinner rebellion of 1986?" Emily said with a laugh. John joined in a second later.

"Not exactly we had family bonding while making pizza."

"Ooh. Pizza! Sweet I LOVE your pizza! But for now come with me to the car I need your help with the cake."

"A cake? Em you didn't have to pick up a cake. Especially after everything you have already done for us today. And besides didn't Maria tell me you are on a diet"

"Not tonight I'm not! Now grab the bloody thing and lets go inside before you scare away the real ghosts." Emily said with a smirk.

"Yea yea. Lets get inside you can help me clean the kitchen." John replied. "With you helping me we might actually have a shot at getting it clean by the time Maria finishes with Merlyn."

"You know" Emily said thoughtfully, "the kid's name is Merlyn and you are a magician. How weird is that?"

"I know." John chuckled. "Normally I would be ecstatic at just meeting someone with the name but I am afraid that with everything that has happened... I guess I have just been a little overwhelmed." John added with a sigh. This day had felt like a week. And it had taken its toll on him. The only thing that kept him from passing out was the thought of his son. 'My son.' Lord above it felt good to say that. 'I am a father.' with that thought came a spring in his step and enough energy to light up the city of London.

"Holly Shit!" Emily said wide eyed when she walked into the kitchen. "What the hell!.It looks like a flour bomb went off in here!"

"Nope. Just Maria, Merlyn and I having fun while cooking."

"Please tell me the pizza survived. After I help you clean this mess up I had better be getting some pizza. And your pizza mind you. Not any of that frozen shit they sell at the market."

"Not to worry the pizza survived." Said maria from the kitchen entrance. "Merlyn is taking a bath." She answered her husbands unspoken question. "So finally decided to show up did you?" Maria asked her best friend. "You should have been here for the great pizza making Auntie Em. Where did you go anyway?"

"Auntie Em?" Emily mimicked with distaste, "No absolutely not I am not some old coot in a tornado. Auntie Emily has a nice ring to it though. And for your information I had to get the cake since you two were otherwise occupied. So there!"

"Oh! Thank you for getting us a cake. I mean obviously I can't let you have any because of your diet but I will make sure to tell you how good it is." "Don't even think about standing between me and my..." The two women kept on bickering right on into the living room. Leaving poor John to clean the kitchen. So with a soft sigh he got started on the counter tops. He only just finished with them when the timer for the pizza went off. "Well I guess I'll finish later." John thought. When John looked up he laughed and realized that he should have started with the floor. As right in front of him was a sopping wet Merlyn. The kid hadn't even bothered with a towel. "Hungry are we?" Merlyn nodded vigerously. "Well you have to wait until the pizza cools down. It is too hot to eat right now." Merlyn just gave John his best puppy eyes. "Hey come on." John said as he put the steaming pizza on the counter to cool. "Let's get you dried up. Once we finish we can have some pizza." Just like that Merlyn ran back upstairs. 'Man that kid moves fast.' John thought. When he was half way up the stairs he was met by the sight of a damp, but not drenched he had to admit, Merlyn. "Not quite good enough kiddo. Lets get you actually dry." Merlyn just gave him a look that screamed "Come on! Please!". "I promise you get the first piece of pizza. Okay?" Merlyn sighed and gave his new father a nod.

Maria and Emily were having a laugh in the living room. They had spent the last ten minutes signing all the paperwork, and now enjoying a nice glass of merlot. That is until they heard the timer go off. "Oh boy." Emily said licking her lips. "Pizza time!"

"Oh come on Em. Aren't you overreacting a little?" Maria asked while following her friend into the kitchen.

"Don't you give me that! I'm not married to the Michelangelo of the kitchen! So I don't get to eat his food every night!" Emily stated as she glared at her friend.

Maria couldn't exactly disagree with her. She herself had in fact suggested that John open a restaurant rather than continue as a magician. But he did what he loved. He always said cooking was relaxing and if he became a chef it would start being a chore. Maria couldn't really complain considering she still got to eat it. In fact here in front of her was one of his best dishes, the glorious pizza. She was just about to pick up a slice of her husbands work of art when she felt a tug on her arm. When she looked down there was Merlyn shaking his head. "What I can't have pizza?" Maria asked giving him a playful pout. Merlyn just shocked her by shaking his head.

"I promised him the first slice." came John's voice from the stairway. A look of comprehension appeared on Maria's face.

"Well, a promise is a promise. Come on time to pick your slice." Maria said as she picked Merlyn up and set him on her lap. "Which one?" Merlin pointed and Maria got his pizza for him. When Merlyn took his first bite his face just lit up. He looked like he was in heaven. He didn't even mind when every one laughed at his reaction, instead he took another big bite. The party continued with a lot of laughs and plans about what they were going to do about a room for Merlyn. They decided that he would sleep with them until the transformed the spare room. Now the partiers are seated on the couch. The three adults have wine while Merlyn opted for orange juice.

After a little while of companionable silence John spoke up. "So who is up for some cake?" John said while looking right at his boy. Merlyn's eyes went wide and a large smile appeared on his face. "I'll take that as a yes." John put his glass on the table and went to grab the cake. John unpacked the cake and grabbed a knife and plates and headed back to the living room. "Alright I hope you like choco..." That is as far as he got before he tripped sending everything flying. The cake, the plates, and the...knife! Everyone was in shock as they watched everything as though it happened in slow motion. Plates going everywhere, the cake falling to the floor, and the knife...heading right for Maria. The closer it got the slower time seemed to tick by until...

"NO!" and everything froze!

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Like I said that was the point I wanted to end it on. Once again please review.**

 **Until next time.**


	4. Chapter 4: Fire

**A/N: Hello everyone I know I said that this chapter would be out yesterday and it wasn't. For that I am sorry. I hope you like the chapter. Enjoy.**

Merlyn was enjoying himself. Here he was sitting on the couch in between his two favorite people. 'My new mom and dad.' he reminded himself. He just smiled at that thought. He was sure he never had a family before because there was no way he would ever forget something that felt so wonderful. And as if that wasn't enough he had a large glass of his new favorite drink, orange juice. He wasn't sure what an orange was but it sure had some good juice. A short time later his dad got up and asked "So who's up for some cake?" Merlyn didn't know what cake was but if his dad made it he definitely wanted some so nodded emphatically. His dad then left for the kitchen and returned a few minutes later with plates, a cake, and a knife. That's when it happened. His father tripped and sent everything flying. The cake went one way, the plates another, but the knife went right for his mom. Time seemed to slow down for Merlyn. All over his body he could feel a tingling sensation. And right as the knife was about to hit he let it all go as if on instinct. "NO!" and everything froze!.

Merlyn had no idea what was going on. Everything just froze and that tingling was more intense. But that didn't matter if the tingling is what is keeping that knife from his mom he would keep it up forever. Just after that thought he saw her slide down the wall in shock. "Mom!" Merlyn shouted as he ran to her. The moment he moved the knife continued on its path and sank into the wall. Merlyn didn't notice nor did he care about some stupid knife all that mattered was that his mom was alright. "Mom!" he cried out again as he reached her and hugged her and started crying into her chest.

Maria was dumbfounded. She looked up when she heard the thud above her and saw the knife in the wall. Then all of a sudden her little boy was hugging her and crying. What was a mom to do, "Hey sweetie, its alright. I'm fine look, not a scratch on me." She was trying her best but this was still new to her and obviously it wasn't helping her son. "Don't worry I'm not going anywhere." This seemed to get through to him and he looked up at her with bloodshot eyes.

"I don't want you to leave. I want you to stay." Merlyn got out through his tears. "Your my mom." He went back to hugging her and crying into her chest.

John had finally gotten over his shock and ran over to his wife and son. He could not believe what he just saw but now was not the time to be thinking about it. His wife and son needed him. Immediately he checked that his wife was alright. Once satisfied the three of them just sat on the floor huddling together trying to calm down. After who knows how long John felt a tall glass of wine placed in his hand. He didn't even look to see who handed it to him. John numbly downed the wine. Once he finished he noticed Maria had a glass of her own and wasn't far behind him. That much wine ingested as quickly as it was was already having an effect. It was a good thing too because he had a son to sooth and he didn't need to be hysterical for that. He immediately started to try to coax his son from his death grip on Maria. "Merlyn, son, " He put his hand on Merlyn's back, "your mom is fine. Take a look." He pulled his son back just enough so he could see that his mom was alright.

Merlyn looked at his mom. She did seem okay, and she was smiling down at him so she must be alright. He just couldn't stop himself from latching onto her. He needed her, and he needed her to be safe. He just cried and cried, eventually sweet unconsciousness engulfed him.

John decided that after what just happened sleep was indeed the best medicine here. He helped his wife to her feet, which turned out to be a little awkward as she we carrying Merlyn. "Love are you alright?" John whispered into his wife's ear. She just nodded back. It appeared as though Merlyn had cried himself to sleep, and Maria didn't want to wake him. "Why don't you take him upstairs he will sleep with us tonight." Maria just gave him a nod and a chaste kiss. 'Come up soon.' she mouthed to John. John just smile and gave her a nod.

As soon as they were out of sight John turned to Emily. "Emily what just...how..." everything just came crashing down on John and he could barely stand let alone think. He was trying his damnedest to sort out what happened but he wasn't thinking straight.

"John" Emily said soothingly as she walked over to him. "Breathe, slowly. Calm down. I don't think we should talk right now. Why don't you go up to bed, hmm. We will talk in the morning."

"Em, would you please stay the night. I can..."

"Hush, I'll stay on the couch I know where everything is." She went to the kitchen real quick to fetch something a little stronger than wine. She came back with a bottle of scotch and two glasses. She poured them each a serving. "Throw it back." Emily instructed as she downed hers. John complied. "There now we can sit here and sip until your calm enough to go up there and not wake either of them. Lord knows they need their sleep." With Merlyn asleep surely Maria would be right behind him, after all she used to be a cop and had been in dangerous situations before. Maria knew how to ride the adrenalin rush, her husband however was another story. He was shaking something fierce. So there the two sat in silence just drinking for the next hour or so until John could breathe smoothly once again. He was reaching for a refill when Emily stopped him. "I think that's enough for the both of us. Time for bed John." She helped John up the stairs, into his room, and onto the bed. She then looked down at the family, husband and wife with their son in the middle. If it wasn't for what almost happened she would call this a picture perfect moment. Emily quietly left the room and shut the door. She didn't even bother to make up the couch she just laid down and passed out.

As Maria's eyes fluttered open she glanced over at the clock. Oh dear its already ten. It was then that she remember the events of the previous night. She quickly turned back to her son and remembered the look on his face. No she did not want to see that look on her son's face again. She decided that she would just lay back down until her son woke up. All she had to do was look at the beautiful boy next to her and realize that he truly was her son brought on a smile. Her smile grew even wider and more brilliant when she remembered that last night her son had called her mom. Maria brought his sleeping form close and just held him.

John woke up soon after and saw his wife holding their child. He smiled at his wife and laid a hand on his son's head being careful not to wake him. "I need to go downstairs. Emily spent the night on the couch. Once he wakes up bring him down and I will start breakfast." After giving Maria a quick kiss John left her and his son to head downstairs. He found Emily still asleep on the couch. 'Well first things first. Time to put the kettle on.' John thought to himself. Once the builders tea was ready John took the pot and two cups into the living room. The smell of the tea seemed to do the trick of waking Emily up.

To say that Emily Stalks was not a morning person would be the understatement of the century. She detests mornings. It is a damn good thing that John knew her favored tea or he would be in trouble. The fact that he also knew her routine was a plus as well. When she was on her fourth cup of tea John finally felt it was safe to talk to her. "Morning."

"Morning. I do love builders tea. Sometimes I think you keep it around just for me." Emily said with a little mirth.

"We do." John replied with an equal amount. "Em, do you recall what happened last night. Everything about it I mean."

"I don't think I will ever forget it. So what did happen?" John just looked at her incredulously. "No, I mean how did it happen? It was a miracle no doubt about that, but how?"

"I don't know how, however I think I know who did it." John said looking pensive. Emily's eyes widened as if to scream "WHO!?" John took a deep breath before breathing out "Merlyn. Everything seemed to halt when he shouted, and then when he moved everything...well...resumed is probably the best word for it." Emily nodded as this matched up with what she remembered. At least she wasn't crazy.

"So...How?" Emily quietly asked.

"I don't know. I've been thinking about it since it happened. Hell I dreamed about it. Usually when I see something like this it is an illusion. And of course soon after I figure out how it is done. The problem is that there is no way in hell that this was an illusion. The knife kept going after it stopped. I can think of no way that any of it is possible." John was thinking at a hundred miles an hour. Rolling from one explanation to the next. "Maybe it was magic." John said in an exasperated whisper while Emily just gave him one of her looks. "Okay then, how do you explain it?"

"I can't but that doesn't mean it's magic."

"Em I have traveled all over the world and seen so many wondrous things. I have seen things that you wouldn't believe. Look Em I know it sounds insane. I wouldn't be saying this if I didn't truly believe it." John said pleadingly. He had been searching for true, honest to god magic. Now he had witnessed his son performing it.

"I'm afraid I am still a skeptic John."

"I know and I am not going to jump to conclusions. But we can talk to him today and figure out what happened. Give me that at least."

"Alright, I will admit that I am rather curious. Not to mention grateful." Emily said with a soft laugh.

John joined in the laughter. He to was quite thankful for whatever it was that happened. His wife was alright and for that he would be forever grateful. He decided to put a pause on this particular conversation for now. It was about time for breakfast anyway so John headed for the kitchen when...squish. 'Oh bugger.' John thought as he looked down. There was the cake that went flying last night. He had forgotten all about it. Oh well, "Hey Emily do you think you could clean this cake up and throw it out?"

"Sure but you better make me extra bacon for breakfast." Emily jibed. 'Sweet breakfast a la John this is so my lucky day.' she thought until she saw the cake. 'Bugger'

After about ten minutes the smell of a Jonathan Ashwood breakfast started to steep through the house. Soon the smells permeated every nook and cranny. Which seemed to be the key to waking up sleeping beauty. Merlyn sat up so suddenly that Maria had to hold back a shriek. When Merlyn saw his mom there all the memories from last night bombarded him, though having experienced it already the memories didn't effect him too much. "Mom?" Merlyn asked softly while moving his hands over her to make sure she really was okay.

"Hey baby." Maria replied. "Hey look at me." She said lifting his chin so that their eye's met. " I'm fine honey. You don't have to worry okay? Besides from the smell I think your dad has just finished cooking breakfast." Maria stated with a smile trying to get her son's mind off of what happened. As she was getting off the bed she added "Maybe we should..." Maria stopped when she turned around and saw an empty room. 'Well looks like John's cooking has done it again. I swear there is just something magical about it.'

The moment he heard that his dad was cooking that was it for Merlyn. He jumped out of bed and ran to the kitchen. When he got there he saw his dad with a pan and some slices of meat. Boy did it smell good. Merlyn just hoped that he was indeed almost done like his mother said. Merlyn just climbed up onto a stool next to the island and watched, 'Smells so good. Please be done soon.' by this time his mouth had almost started watering at the smell. Merlyn didn't even notice that Emily had taken a seat next to him and was staring hungrily at the contents of the pan.

Maria entered the kitchen to seeing both Merlyn and Emily starring at a cooking John. She just walked up and gave him a peck on the cheek. "Good morning love." She got a peck on the lips as a response before she scurried out of the way. One of the rules in the kitchen is that if John is cooking you stay out of the way. She learned early on that the food was totally worth that rule. So she went over and poured herself a cup of tea. Builders tea by the smell of it. She then grabbed a glass from the cupboard and paused. 'Hmm, I didn't realize routines could get ingrained this fast. Maybe motherhood won't be to hard to get used to after all.' She then stole a look at Merlyn, 'And even if it was it would still be worth it.' Maria thought to herself, smiling as she got her son some orange juice.

Soon everyone was sitting at the table eating a delicious breakfast of bacon, eggs, toast, fruit, and even more bacon. Emily and Merlyn were digging in with gusto. Maria however had eaten Johns cooking every night for years now so she was immune to the temptation to stuff her face...well most of the time anyway. They all ate in silence, sort of. Merlyn and Emily were eating so much that it was hard not to make noise. John and Maria were simply glad to eat and enjoy the show.

It always amazed John how much people seemed to like his cooking. Growing up he never seemed to like anyone's cooking and so taught himself how to do it. Maria notified him that he would forever be the official chef of their relationship roughly two weeks after they started dating when he first cooked for her. He had made a simple picnic with fried chicken, potato salad, coleslaw, fruit salad, ham, sausage, salmon, and of course cake. After all they had only been dating for two weeks and John liked to cover his bases. And in his opinion it was well worth the effort. He gave his wife a smile as he remembered being told that he was the chef right after she took her first bite of chicken.

After a good breakfast everyone retired to the living room for a much needed discussion about the previous night. The family all sat on the couch while Emily took the chair.

"So..." John tried but was not exactly sure how to begin this particular conversation.

"Oh grow some balls." Emily said to John and was about to continue but she got hissed out by an irate Maria.

"Emily!" Maria hissed while covering Merlyn's ears.

Whoops. Emily's eyes widened a bit. "Sorry. I'm not used to having the little guy around yet. But I must say those mothering instincts you've been displaying are going into overdrive don't you think?" Emily asked a little amused.

"Making up for lost time." Maria retorted.

"Well whatever. Maria uncover Merlyn's ears please." John said. "We need to talk about what happened last night. Or more specifically when the knife..." John choked up a little thinking about just how close his wife had been to getting hurt... or worse. " was about to... um... but then it and everything else stopped."

"Well my vote is for miracle and leave it at that." Emily said resolute.

" I just don't know. I mean I was a little preoccupied at the time. But I would be willing to call it a miracle though." said Maria weakly.

Merlyn just stayed silent and stared at his feet. John noticed this and decided it was time to talk to Merlyn about what he did. 'It was him I'm sure of it.' John thought. Merlyn, son?" Merlyn looked up at his father with a sheepish look on his face. "Son, I want you to tell me the truth. Did you stop the knife?"

Merlyn stayed silent and started starring at his feet again. Everyone was quiet and looking at him. "I don't know." Merlyn said sheepishly. "I think so. I just didn't want mommy to be hurt. I was scarred." he tried to explain. Merlyn was beginning to get worried when no one said anything. Then he was being engulfed by a hug from his parents.

"You did such a wonderful thing last night son. Thank you for saving your mom." John said with a tear in his eye. Maria and John continued to fuss over their son while Emily just watched from the chair. She wasn't going to discount anything but magic is a bit much to swallow. After about half an hour everyone was in much better spirits with everything out in the open. The tension that no one noticed was there lifted and everyone seemed to breathe easier.

"Alright John, you win so the kid might have saved the day. Good job by the way" She said giving Merlyn a wink. " But I'll be honest I really want to know how he did it."

"That's a good point, son, how did you do it? Can you tell us?" John asked just as interested in the answer as Emily.

Merlyn just looked at his dad. When he saw him smiling back he realized that his dad was happy and that just made everything alright. Being accepted is just something he was going to have to get used too, Merlyn decided. "Well I saw the knife heading for mom. I felt my body start to um...tingle and that's when everything started to slow down. But the knife kept going towards mom. I was so afraid I screamed and then the tingle got stronger. That's when it stopped. I just tried to keep the knife away from mom. When she sat down I stopped trying and ran to her." Merlyn looked into his father's eyes for some sign that it was all going to be alright and boy did he find it.

John was stunned. It really was his son. Now, he had to admit to himself, whether it was magic or something else he couldn't be sure. "Wow." John breathed out. "Son what you did was amazing. I am so proud of you for protecting your mom." John gave Merlyn the largest smile he could. Merlyn just sent it right back. His dad was proud of him. He looked at his parents. People who he didn't even know two days ago, who took him in and then adopted him. It certainly didn't feel like only one day to Merlyn, he felt as if he had always been apart of this family. Somehow he just knew that his parents felt the same way.

John was looking at his smiling family then to a disbelieving Emily. Well he knew a way to turn her into a believer. That is if it worked. "Son, do you think you could help me? I would like to see if you can do what you did last night again. Will you help me?" Merlyn looked really scared when his dad asked him that. John realized his mistake and quickly made to correct it. "No, no, no, I didn't mean with the knife. I meant that I wanted you to do what you did last night. No one will get hurt I promise we will be very careful." John said soothingly to his son. Merlyn quite visibly calmed down.

Now that he understood he found himself looking forward to trying it again. After all making thing stop in midair was kinda cool. He just smiled and nodded.

"Great I have a couple of ideas I want to try. Why don't you go up and take a bath and I will get it all set up." John told his son.

"Kay dad." With a hug for both his parents he headed up stairs.

"Man nothing seems to keep that kid down for long. Reminds me of a odd couple I know." Emily said giving said couple a wry smile.

"Well he obviously takes after me." Said John jokingly and everyone got a good laugh. "Alright I need to run to the store I should be back in half an hour. I will only be getting a couple of things."

An hour later we find our little group back in the living room. The three adults are sitting on the couch while Merlyn is sitting in the arm chair in front of the coffee table. The coffee table is holding what would appear to be random objects. John however stood by his statement that each one was there for a particular reason. On the table we have a racket ball, a candle, and a glass of water.

"So... John mind explaining what these things are for?" Emily asked

"Sure. Number one, the racket ball is for trying to get Merlyn to do what he did last night, but if he can't it won't hurt anyone. Number two, the candle is to see if he can, you know, make fire." John explained with excitement in his voice.

"And the large glass of water?" Emily asked

"Oh that would be used if number 2 goes wrong." John answered with a smile. Emily's however was disappearing. "Right now son I want you to try to get that tingling feeling back." Merlyn nodded and closed his eyes to try. A few minutes later he opened them so suddenly everyone inhaled. "Well?"

"Nope." Merlyn said as he shook his head.

"Hmm, maybe it needs to just be done and it will come out. Like an instinct. Maria would you stand over there we are going to play catch." Maria got up with a bemused expression. John then knelt down next to his son "Now I want you to just try to keep the ball from reaching your mom okay?" Merlyn nodded. They played catch for a good fifteen minutes before John called quits.

Merlyn was getting frustrated. He didn't really care about the ball or making things float. He just didn't want to disappoint his dad.

John noticed the look on his son's face. "Hey buddy," He said putting a hand on his son's shoulder. "You are doing great. I know this is difficult. I think that's enough with the ball. We are going to move on to the candle. Alright?" Merlyn nodded. He felt better after that. He could try the candle.

Unfortunately the candle worked out as well as the racket ball. John was disappointed but wouldn't let it show. He didn't want his son to feel like he didn't do a good job. As a matter of fact John thought Merlyn did outstanding, he was being such a good sport. John felt like something was missing. He just couldn't put his finger on it. But once again he had to call it quits. Ah well they could always try another time. "Alright son enough work. How about we go to a movie, eh?" He asked the room. "My treat." He added when he saw Emily.

"Sounds good to me. But lets stop at the store on the way. The snacks at the theater are always overpriced." Emily said.

"Wait isn't that illegal and aren't you a cop?" John asked shocked by what he just heard.

"Exactly I am a cop. My paycheck sucks." Emily deadpanned and everyone laughed.

"Well there is no need to go to the store why don''t we just take John's" Maria put in.

"John's what?" Emily asked

"John's candy."

There was a deafening silence as Emily's eyes went wide. "John...makes...candy?! Where!?" Maria just went to go get the bag when she got back Emily ran right up to her and grabbed one of the chocolates and a gummy. The gummy was like the essence of a cherry and a grape liquefying on her tongue. It took a minute for her to calm down from that high. Next was the chocolate. The moment it touched her tongue she was in heaven. Weightless, at peace, the silky smooth texture took her to cloud nine. It took a little longer to come back to earth from the chocolate than from the gummy. "Wow. No wonder you married him. Hell I would have if I had known he could take me to heaven." Maria just glared at her best friend. Emily's eyes widened "I meant with the chocolates." She said throwing her hands up in surrender. "Speaking of which..." Emily swiped another piece of chocolate and started singing as she headed to the car. "Oh, sweet mystery of life at last I have found you!" causing everyone inside to fall on the floor laughing.

The foursome then proceeded to see a movie and enjoyed it so much that they decided to see another. After all there were some snacks left over. Although not for long if Emily kept at them. They had a hour in between shows and decided to get Merlyn some ice cream while they waited. Emily wisely chose to stick with the chocolate. She had calmed down from her first taste. Now she was just humming. Soon it was time for the second movie. John however didn't pay attention to it. To be fare he didn't pay attention to the first movie either. It wasn't that he wasn't interested in the movies it was that his mind was working on a problem and would not be dissuaded from its path. They had dinner in the city. Merlyn was disappointed that the restaurant wouldn't let his father in the kitchen to cook. But his dad said he would cook tomorrow so it was okay. By the time they got home it was rather late so Emily said her goodbyes and left as the family went inside.

"Hey John will you get Merlyn some juice. I need to go soak in the tub and relax a bit."

"Sure love. I know its been a rough couple of days" John said giving his wife a chaste kiss. "Alright bud ready for some orange juice?"

"Yea!" Merlyn jumped. He really loved that stuff.

John got him a nice big glassful which Merlyn promptly downed. John just shook his head as Merlyn looked at the carton wanting another glass. And it hit John like a lightning bolt. 'That's it!' John shouted in his head. "Hey son, remember what we were doing earlier?" Merlyn nodded. "Would you give it one more go for me. But this time things will be a little bit different alright." Merlyn just nodded again. He trusted his dad and wanted to make him proud. "Alright come on lets get to the living room." John got the candle and water ready. He was sure that this was the key. Once everything was ready John turned off the lights. It wasn't completely dark just very dim.

"Alright son, for this to work we are going to have to use our imaginations okay?" Merlyn nodded. "Now I want you to know that you are completely safe I won't let anything happen to you okay?" Merlyn let out a breath and nodded again. "Now I want you to imagine that you are cold. It is snowing and you are outside. Feel how cold you are. You forgot your jacket and it is freezing outside. The only thing there is is this candle. You have no way to light it but you need it lit. The candle is the only way to get warm. Focus on the cold and the candle." John said slowly trying to emphasize the cold. It was working Merlyn started to shiver and stayed focused on the candle. John could see the determination creep onto his sons face. John kept quiet and just watched in the dark. He waited, and waited. Until...

Fire.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Now i know you are all waiting for Harry Potter to appear. Well have no fear he will be making his debut within the next two chapters. Thank you for reading and please review. Thank you.**


	5. Chapter 5: I'm Harry, Harry Potter

**A/N: Well this one took a while. This is my longest chapter to date but i really wanted to bring in Harry sooner rather than later. Now the story will start to pick up speed. I now have had over 1500 views. I would like to thank everyone for reading. Enjoy.**

A few minutes ago with Merlyn...

Merlyn sat on the chair and starred at the candle again. He didn't really expect anything to happen but his dad asked him to try so he would. After a few minutes his dad spoke up. Apparently he was supposed to imagine being in the freezing rain without a coat. Well that didn't make any sense at all. You should always wear a coat when its raining. But, once again, his dad asked him to do this. And it's not like he was really in the rain anyway. He imagined himself in the freezing cold rain, and nothing happened. Then his dad told him to feel the freezing cold. Merlyn tried, and you know what he started to feel cold. With each passing second he got colder and colder. Until he almost couldn't bear it. Then his dad let him know how to warm up. He needed fire. He needed to light that candle. All of a sudden that tingling feeling came back. It was stronger than it was the other night. It seemed to pulse through him. With every pulse the tingling got stronger and more intense. Eventually it was too much and he somehow let it all out while thinking of the candle being lit. And there it was...

Fire.

"Dad!" Merlyn shouted not taking his eye's from the candle flame. " I did it! Come look!" He couldn't believe it he really did do it.

"Yes, you did!" he shouted with joy as he picked him up and started to swing him around. "I am so proud of you son." John told Merlyn with a large smile. "This deserves a treat! How would you like some chocolate?"

Merlyn's eyes lit up. He had some of his father's chocolate at the movie and it was amazing! "Yay! Chocolate!"

Right as they were going to enter the kitchen both Merlyn and John heard a irritated cough coming from the stairway. "Excuse me. Did someone say something about chocolate?...Well?" Maria said in a tone John knew meant that she was not in the mood to play around. "I just finished getting my bath ready when I hear my son shout 'Chocolate'." She was about to keep going when she felt a familiar tug on the sleeve of her bath robe. She looked down to see the happy face of her son.

John could tell that he was about to get an earful unless he jumped in front of this thing. Smiling he looked down at Merlyn, "Son, why don't we show mommy what you did?" Merlyn just nodded the smile never leaving his face.

Maria found herself being turned around and led into the living room. There was a lit candle sitting on the coffee table but the rest of the room was pretty dark. Now she was pissed not only was he going to give Merlyn chocolate right before bed but he also left a candle burning where her son could reach it. As soon as she put it out he was so going to get it. She had just started for the candle when her husbands arms wrapped around her. Maria was so upset that she just reacted and elbowed him in the ribs. John let out a grunt when she hit him. It hurt. "Wait a second! Just calm down." John whispered heatedly in her ear. He knew she was upset but he didn't expect her to lash out like this. At least Merlyn didn't seem to notice. He would most definitely have words with his wife after this. But right now was all about his son.

Merlyn walked right over to the candle and picked it up. He turned around with the candle sitting in his cupped palms and said "Look at what I did, Mommy" in the most enthusiastic voice he could muster. He was so thrilled with what he did and he really wanted his mom to be proud of him just like his dad.

Maria went from furious to dumbstruck in an instant. Her mouth hanging open and not able to make a sound. All her anger and fury dissipated in that instant to be replaced by numbness. There was no way, just no way he could be saying what she thought he was saying right? "Um honey," She began as she got down on her knees to look her son in the eyes, "how did you do it?"

Merlyn had a huge grin plastered on his face and said "I used the tingling. Dad helped me."

" Oh honey it is lovely lets get it into the kitchen alright?" Merlyn just nodded and headed that way. "Baby why don't you let mommy take the candle." She said as she gently took it from his palms. The flame took on a whole new meaning for her. It was beautiful. "Lynn, why don't you grab a seat in the kitchen. Mommy and daddy need to talk for a little bit but we will be in soon alright?" Merlyn nodded and headed to the kitchen to await the coming chocolate. Maria gently put the candle back on the coffee table and slowly turned to face John. She really didn't want to look into his eyes right now. Not after what she did. She never got physical with John, at least not in anger. In fun and love sure, but not anger never anger. Sure they argue every once in a while but it was never about anything major. And it certainly never got physical...until tonight. "John, I am so sorry." Maria began as tears started to flow down her face. Her eyes were still on the floor unable to bring them to his face. "I am so sorry. I don't know what came over me. Its just what with everything that's happened I just couldn't take...Oh John, I am so so sorry. I promise it will never happen again." She just stood there crying waiting for an answer but none came. She looked up into his eyes. They were so full of hurt. And she had put it there. She felt despicable. John was just standing there. Then he raised his arms and beckoned for his wife. She just sobbed and ran into his waiting arms. Maria held him tightly to her as she cried.

John could see the pain and punishment she was putting herself through, and seeing it made him sick to his stomach. He hated seeing her this way. "It's alright, love" John said soothingly. "I forgive you." Maria just continued to sob into his shirt. John couldn't let this go on. He put a finger under her chin and lifted her face up where he met her lips with his. John put all of his feelings of love and forgiveness into that kiss. Eventually they broke apart. "Come on, it has been a long couple of days. I think we could all use some chocolate." He said with a smile.

"I think your right." Maria told him while wiping the tears out of her eyes. "After we get the little one to bed why don't you join me in the tub?" She asked with love. "After everything that has happened I would really like to be held by my husband."

"Well you are in luck because it just so happens that after all this I really would like to hold my wife." John said following the statement with a chaste kiss. And with that they headed into the kitchen to eat some chocolate with their son.

Maria woke the next morning to feel her husbands arms around her. She really needed last night. They both did to be honest. They just sat in their large tub holding each other for hours. The excitement, the stress, the worry it all just went down the drain with the water. She could hardly believe what preceded it though. Her son lit a candle with his mind. Just wow. Her eyes then shot wide open with realization and disentangled herself from John. She knew if there was any chance she really needed to hurry.

John woke up to an empty bed. That was most definitely odd. He never woke up in an empty bed One of the perks of having a wife who is retired. But then again he up until now he didn't have a son for her to get up for. He realized that must be it. Merlyn must have needed something so of course mommy went to help. He just smiled at the thought. Well he better get up and start breakfast he refused to put his child through Maria's cooking.

When John entered the kitchen he instantly saw his wife, but no Merlyn. Weird. As he was scanning the room he noticed that there was a lit candle in front of his wife. "Is this your way of telling me that you want a romantic breakfast?" He asked as he walked up behind her and slipped his arms around her.

Maria looked up at her husband with a broad smile."Well that sounds lovely dear. But no this is Merlyn's."

John's eyes widened. "He did it again!" he almost shouted with amazement.

"What? Oh, no no, this is the same one from last night."

" Um Maria I hate to tell you but the candle has barely started to melt it can't be the same one from last night."

Maria let out an amused huff. "Not the candle, Love." She said while leaning back into him. "The fire. I was able to light this candle with it before it went out." John's eyes were now threatening to come out of his head. That was brilliant. "We might not have been here for his first steps but we were there when he did...this." Maria said with a pleased smile. She knew that she hadn't seen it when it happened but John told her all about it in extreme detail while they were soaking last night. This was their version of 'first steps' and she wanted to keep the feeling alive.

"You are brilliant Maria. We can always keep it burning." John said with a smile and small kiss for his wife. "You know we do need to decide what we are going to do with Merlyn, you know."

"Well I think we should keep him." Maria said smartly with a chuckle.

John just gave a look. Although a smile started to crawl onto his face. His wife was finally relaxed for the first time in days. They hadn't realized just how stressed they were becoming. He was secretly glad that Maria elbowed him since this is how it turned out. "That's not what I meant and you know it. I was talking about school."

"Oh." Maria just stood there thinking. She hadn't thought about this. "I really don't know what we should do. Do you think he is ready for school? I mean what grade would he be in anyway?" Maria asked.

"No, I don't think that he is ready for school. At least not socially. He barely talks to us after all. As for academically we have absolutely no idea where he stands." John just stood there with his arms still around his wife and laid his chin on her head and began to think of a plan. " I think I've got it." John said after a few minutes. Maria looked up at him all ears. "How about we home school him for this year. We can make sure he is where he needs to be academically, work on his social skills and his shyness, which in fact is the only real problem he has. Oh and lets not forget that." John said nodding at the flame. "We really can't send him to school until he at least has some control over his gift."

"That's very true." Maria agreed. "Well we can figure all that out later today. Why don't you get started on that romantic breakfast you were talking about."

"What about the little guy upstairs?"

"Oh it's early he shouldn't be up for a while. I'll tell you what I will go to the store and pick up a old fashion lantern." Maria said from the comfort of her husbands arms. "After all it will be a lot easier to keep a lantern going then a candle." She said nodding toward the lit candle in the middle of the island.

"Pretty good idea. So what are you waiting for. Get going." John said as he slapped his wife's butt playfully while flashing her a stimulating smile.

When Maria returned from the store she had an oil lamp and a quart of oil. It should last about a week or so. When she walked inside the smell hit her and Maria was transported to heaven. John had gone all out. Something he usually only did for special occasions like their anniversary. Maria practically floated to the kitchen ready to eat with the love of her life. Maria froze the instant she crossed the threshold to the kitchen. Merlyn was sitting at the island eagerly awaiting the breakfast that the smells promised.

Well this changed things quite a bit. Maria certainly wasn't going to be flashing anyone now. And after changing into her husbands favorite lingerie. She let out a disappointed breath drawing the attention of her husband.

"Well look who's back." John said shooting her a smile. "Merlyn what do you say?"

Merlyn jumped off his stool and ran over to his mom. "Good morning Mommy." He said with a ton of energy. "Dad told me that you are going to keep it." He said pointing over to the candle. His dad told him that they wanted to keep it to show off to everyone how proud they were of him. A few tears leaked out of Merlyn's eyes at the happiness he felt. He had never been so happy or felt so loved in all his life. He wasn't sure how he knew that, but somehow he did. His mom picked him up and started to walk over to the stool. She sat down and settled him down in her lap. His day just kept on getting better and better. First his dad told him that both he and his mom were proud of him, and now he was getting breakfast while sitting with his mom. Best day ever. Merlyn couldn't keep his smile down, and really why would he.

Breakfast was incredible. Afterword they all went into the living room and moved Merlyn's fire into the lantern. Then his parents set the lantern on the fireplace mantle for all to see. They all sat on the couch and looked at it for a few minutes. 'It's a good spot.' Merlyn thought.

"Hey Merlyn why don't you go get dressed. Then you and mommy can take you to London for some shopping." Merlyn just nodded and went upstairs."

"Don't you want to come?" Maria asked confused.

"Absolutely I would love to. However there are things that need to be taken care of. I will call up Emily and get everything together. We need things like birth certificate, social security number. Things like that take time and energy and are incredibly boring. So I thought I would take care of it while you and our son went off and had some fun." John explained and then gave his wife a sweet peck on the lips. "Have fun."

Maria went up stairs to change into something more comfortable for London. After all she could always change back into her fun clothes later. She thought with a wicked grin. As she reached the bottom of the stairs she saw Merlyn bouncing on his toes ready to go and chuckled at the sight. "Come on my little Lynn, let's get going and when we get back your father will have an amazing dinner waiting for us."

"Yay!" Merlyn cheered. First he is getting to go out with mom and then an amazing dinner. Yep definitely the best day ever. He simply smiled and ran to the car.

"See you tonight sweetheart." Maria said with a kiss and headed out the door. This was going to be quite the day. She got buckled in and looked over to her son. "Ready to go?" Merlyn gave her an enthusiastic nod. And they set off.

John practically fell into his favorite arm chair. This had been a trying day to say the least. First he called Emily to find out the procedures needed. She told him that he had to contact a lawyer, ten branches of government, and who knows what else. The lawyer told him to call that doctor they went to the other day and submit some form in order to get a birth certificate since there were none on file for his son. That puzzled him. It was almost as if Merlyn just came into being on that spot in the road during that storm. Well it would take a few weeks to get all the paperwork finalized but at least ten hours of phone and leg work had taken care of their part of it. Now they just had to wait. One more phone call that is all he needed to make. Taking a deep breath he took solace in the fact that it would be short. So he picked up the phone and dialed.

"Surrey police, how may I direct your call?"

"Captain Stalks please."

"Please hold"

"This is Captain Stalks."

"Hey Em." John started.

"John," Emily stopped him quickly. "What did I tell you when you called earlier?"

"Um, " John thought for a bit, "to call your cell." he finished apologetically. "Look I'm sorry but I just finished with that laundry list of things I had to do today."

"Really...You actually finished all of it?" Emily asked. She was impressed, normally it would take a few days if not a week to finish everything. No wonder he sounded so tired.

"Look I have some vegetables simmering and I was wondering if" John didn't even get a chance to finish when a "Yes I'll be right over" Came over the phone. Then the line went dead. "Well, at least it was short." John said to himself. He had about twenty minutes before he had to get back to his food so he poured himself a scotch, put on some relaxing music and just relaxed.

Maria pulled up into the driveway a smile plastered on her face. This had been a wonderful day. The drive into London was a little rocky with some silence. But once they got parked and started to walk Merlyn became a bundle of energy dragging her from one place to another. Although she did have to drag him into the clothing stores. Honestly what is it with boy's and clothes shopping. She had the same problem with John. But Merlyn did was a good sport about it. As a reward Maria took her son on the London Eye. He loved it. Running around the compartment so high in the sky. She on the other hand hated it. Heights terrified Maria, however she would deal with her insecurities to see her little Lynn that happy. Eventually they came back down and continued what she enjoyed, shopping.

"Alright Lynn, how about you help your mommy bring these bags up to your room."

"Kay." Merlyn replied as he grabbed as many as he could carry and headed towards the door. Unfortunately now he couldn't open it, but his mom came to help me get the door open.

When Maria opened the door she saw that there were to people sitting in the living room. "Hello, we're home." She called out.

"Welcome back love. Dinner will be ready in about twenty minutes." Said John eyeing the bags that the two newcomers were holding. "Do you think you got enough?" He said with a chuckle.

Maria let out a breath. "No I am afraid not. But it will have to do for now. Oh honey will you get the rest please."

"Rest?" John asked a little shocked between her and Merlyn they were carrying about ten bags. "Just how many more are there?" He asked in alarm.

"Oh not that many. Maybe another ten." John hung his head in defeat and headed outside to get the rest. Giving his wife a welcoming kiss on the way out.

The person sitting on the couch started laughing, "Is that all for the kid?"

Maria shrugged "Most of it. Although I did get a few things for John. But yea most of it is for Lynn"

"Lynn?"

"Yes Lynn Don't you like it? I think it suits him more than Merlyn." Maria explained.

Emily nodded in understanding. "No no, I do like it. I just didn't quite catch that you meant Merlyn. You know John will always call him Merlyn. Obsessive about magic that one is." Emily said looking toward the door. "Speaking of which, did 'Lynn' actually make that." Emily gestured to the oil lamp on the mantle.

"Yes he did." Maria told her best friend with pride. "He did it last night with John. When I woke up I had realized that we left the candle burning before we went to bed. So I hurried downstairs and grabbed an extra candle and lit it with the other. I almost didn't make it on time. A few minutes later and I would have missed it."

"Wow. So John was right. I am still not sure I believe it though. It's just too fantastic. Maybe he could show me tonight hmm?" Emily slid in the question just to see if her friends were pulling her leg.

"Hmm, I don't think so." Maria told her. 'Gotcha' Emily thought and just as she was about to confront her Maria continued. "John told me what he had to do in order to get Lynn to light the candle. I don't want him doing that to our son again. I mean I understand that he will have to in order to find a way for Lynn to control it. I just told him to take it slow. After all Lynn is only six. Give it a few weeks then you can come over for a showing. Okay?" Maria said with a smile that just reeked of the pride she held for her son.

"Yeah sure." Emily responded weakly.

After dinner everyone is situated in the living room once again. Emily and Maria were sipping on their mudslides. "God you even make fantastic drinks. How I wish you weren't married." Emily said with a look of ecstasy on her face after a particularly large sip. John lifted his glass of scotch in recognition. All the while Merlyn just sat there watching everyone interact while drinking his hot chocolate. Emily eventually came down from her high and asked ," So what are your plans? It is a little late for Lynn to start school this year."

"Well I have been thinking about it and even if we wanted him to go this year he couldn't. We would have to wait a few more weeks for all of the paper work to finalize." John answered taking a sip of scotch. " So we have decided on home schooling for this year. Next year we will put him in primary school. But we won't just be working on academics. We are also going to be working on his social skills and shyness not to mention his gift." John said nodding towards the lamp with Merlyn's fire inside. "Maria has even decided to teach him self defense."

At hearing that Emily burst out laughing, receiving a rather annoyed look from Maria for it. "Oh, this I should have seen coming." Emily got out between bouts of laughter. "Come on Maria he is only what six, seven at the most." She just kept laughing until she felt a sudden sting in her shin. She immediately looked down to see a rather upset looking Merlyn.

"Stop it!" He told Emily. "Stop being mean. It's not nice." He then walked over and climbed up next to his mom. "Are you alright mommy?" He asked while giving her a hug.

Maria was near tears. Her son had just defended her, not that she really needed it her friend was only having a bit of fun. But her son thought that her feelings were being hurt and had rushed to help her. "I am much better now thanks to you." She told her son along with giving him a great big hug. She was near bursting with pride and love for her son. John was in the exact same boat.

Emily on the other hand was so shocked at what had just occurred that her mouth just hung open for a few minutes. 'Damn this kid could kick. And if he is going to be coming to peoples rescues he will probably get in a lot of fights. Maria was right, he needed to learn to fight or he would get hurt. Now that her mind had cleared some she realized she needed to make up some lost ground with the kid. "Your right." She said to Merlyn. "So how do I fix my mistake?" She asked him as seriously as she could manage.

"You need to apologize to mom." Merlin replied his face going back to angry once his eyes left his mom and fixated on her.

Shit I might have just really screwed things up between the kid and I. She took a deep breath and said "Maria I am sorry I laughed at you. Can you forgive me?" She asked giving Maria a meaningful glance as if to say "Come on and play along."

Maria got the hint. She of course knew that her friend didn't mean any harm. "Yes I forgive you. Thank you for apologizing."

The moment she accepted she looked at Merlyn who just smiled at her. "Thank you for your help Lynn"

Merlyn smiled glad that he could help. "It's alright. Sometimes people forget to be nice so you just have to remind them."

All of the adults froze at his words. John and Maria wondered where the hell that bit of wisdom had come from. It was surprisingly mature for someone so young. Emily on the other hand could only think that she had just been played. That instant forgiveness after Maria gave hers. The little brat knew she was just screwing with Maria. Holy shit! Who was this kid?!

"Well I think that is enough for tonight." John said breaking the silence. "Bed time buddy." Merlyn nodded to his father and went to put up his cup. "You two feel free to chat but I am bushed. So I'm heading to bed. Night Emily" John said, "Don't be to long." He added to his wife with a quick kiss.

"I think I should be heading to bed as well we start school tomorrow after all. " Emily said.

"Night all." Emily said before leaving. John closed the door behind her and headed up to bed with his wife.

The next morning the family of three got right down to business. John had already thought of the subjects he wanted to teach his son and got Maria to pick up books while in London yesterday. They would be teaching their son the usual Math, Science, English, but would also be teaching him French, and German. Apparently teaching extra languages young was the key. And while John had insisted on an hour for training Merlyn's gift, Maria had insisted on an hour for self defense. All in all a solid school day. Thus it began, seven hours a day five day's a week. Both John and Maria were rather impressed their son took to it all like fish to water. He seemed to be a natural at just about everything. So much so that over the next few weeks John and Maria continually introduced Merlyn to new activities to try and find something he wasn't good at. They found out rather quickly that as talented as he was at somethings he was just as horrible at others. For instance they found that just like his father he was a rather good cook. Well good enough that John had him help whenever he cooked. At the same time Merlyn was absolutely dreadful when it came to making friends. It wasn't that he wasn't polite or friendly, in fact during the play dates they had with other parents went well. Merlyn simply didn't seem to like anyone, apparently he was rather picky when it came to people. Or maybe it was simply that he was so mature for his age. This is how life progressed for the family for the next few months.

However things were a little different when it came to Merlyn's gift. John didn't have Merlyn try anything for a few weeks. After all how do you instruct in something when you yourself don't know how it works. After the first few days John had all the information he could gather from Merlyn about when he had used his gift and the feelings associated with it. After a few weeks John had created a system. He would have Merlyn imagine a scenario just like he did with the candle, and each time he would have these scenarios become less severe each week. And so every week it became easier and easier for Merlyn to get the tingling feeling. After nine months he could bring up the tingly feeling without any scenarios at all. That night they had a celebration and invited Emily over for a long overdue demonstration.

"Why hello. I was beginning to think you had forgotten about me." Emily said with a mocking pout.

"Come on in. Lynn has been waiting all day for his Auntie to come." Maria told her.

"Of course he has. I am his favorite Aunt after all." Emily stated rather pompously.

"You're his only Aunt." Maria deadpanned.

"Beside the point." Emily huffed. "Now where is my nephew?" She asked rather loudly as she stepped in side.

"Auntie Em! Auntie Em!" Merlyn came running to give his aunt a hug. Emily just grimaced at her nickname. A couple of months ago her friends had shown the boy The Wizard of Oz. And ever since she had been Auntie Em. God damn it, she had told Maria that there was no way in hell she would be Auntie Em and here she was. She blamed it entirely on the boy. Lynn was just to adorable to say no to at times.

"Ah, hello there Emily. Glad you could make it." Came a voice from the kitchen.

"Hello John, well of course I made it. I have two very good reasons for being here. First my nephew is here and I missed him." She said ruffling the kids hair. "And secondly you are cooking."

Merlyn had to smile at the fact that he had always been more important to his aunt than his dad's cooking. To be honest he would be hard pressed to find someone that he liked more than his dad's cooking. Apart from his family of course. "Dad?"

"Yes. What is it son?" Came the reply from the kitchen.

"Can we show Auntie Em now? Please."

"Hmm. I don't know. Have you finished all your chores?"

"Yes, dad." He answered. He really hated chores. But after he finished his dad would make him a treat so he always tried to finish them as soon as possible. "I finished like an hour ago."

"Alright get in here and watch the fish for me and I will get everything set up." John replied.

Emily was a little surprised when John came out of the kitchen holding a candle and a rubber ball. "I hope you don't expect me to eat that." She said jokingly. "Although if you are the one who cooked I might be convinced to give it a try." Emily chuckled. So did John for that matter.

"No, don't worry this most definitely isn't dinner. Merlyn just wants to show you something." John set down the ball and candle. He then started to move some of the furniture to create a space. "Alright Merlyn come on in the fish should be done by now." John called to the kitchen.

"It's done dad. I took it off the fire so it can rest." Merlyn said as he came out of the kitchen.

"Son remember you let red meat rest not fish." John told him. Merlyn looked a little sad. "Don't worry son pretty soon you will be out cooking me. It just takes time." John told him to build up his confidence a bit. That was one thing about him. Merlyn's problem with shyness stemmed from self confidence. Both he and Maria thought that if he just had a friend then maybe that would solve the confidence issue. Well in three months he would be in public school and should be able to find a friend there.

"Right." Merlyn said as he smiled up at his dad. "I'll remember this time!" he added with enthusiasm.

"I know you will son. Now are you ready to show your Auntie what you have learned." Merlyn nodded vigorously. "Alright Emily why don't you and Maria sit on the couch and we will get started. Merlyn right over here." Merlyn went to stand by his father right in front of the candle.

"So what are you going to show me?" Emily asked.

"Remember a while back you wanted to see my little Lynn use his gift but he couldn't control it. Well it took some time but now..." Maria said gesturing towards the candle and her son.

"Seriously!? I thought it was a joke you were playing on me. I thought you gave it up as a bad job." Emily said shocked.

Maria just laughed at the face her friend was making. "Nope, it just took longer than I anticipated. Now hush up and watch."

"Ready son?" John asked and received a nod. "Alright go for it." John told him as he stepped back. They all watched with bated breath then it happened. Fire just popped into existence on top of the candle.

"Holy Cow!" Screamed Emily. "You did it! You actually did it!" It took a few minutes to calm down. John and Maria just watched her amused while Merlyn just stood there looking very pleased with himself. After a few minutes Emily was able to breathe normally again. "So no trick candle?" Everyone shook their head. "This is real?" Everyone just nodded letting it all sink in.

"So Em, are you ready for part two?" John asked her. Emily just nodded weakly not trusting her voice. "Alright Merlyn go stand by the chair. That's it. Are you ready?" Merlyn nodded ready to go. "Here we go. Watch this Em." John then picked up the ball and tossed it so that it would land almost right at the midpoint between them. Merlyn shot out his hand palm forward and the ball stopped. It stayed still in the air for roughly five seconds before Merlyn let it drop to the floor.

Emily was still. She couldn't even breathe. What the hell. Merlyn really did it. This was absolutely fantastic, amazing, incredible... she couldn't even think of a word to describe it. Magic or not this was something else. Emily was brought out of her musings when Merlyn spoke up.

"What do you think Auntie Em?" Merlyn asked with a hopeful look.

"I think that it is amazing. This is incredible Lynn."

"Would you like to see another one?" Emily nodded not seeing the confused look on Maria's face or the concerned one on John's.

Maria however did see the look on John's face. "Lynn, honey, what else can you do?"

"I can catch the ball!" Merlyn said in excitement. Emily just smiled at the boy. Catching a ball probably was something exciting for a boy that age.

Maria couldn't see why John was looking like that it certainly didn't seem dangerous. "John, whats wrong?"

"Oh nothing it's just that it takes a bit out of him." He replied. Emily looked a little shocked and couldn't help thinking that maybe there was more to catching a ball then she thought. "Merlyn are you sure you want to do this?" John asked. Merlyn nodded emphatically. He really wanted to see his Auntie Em's reaction. "Alright." John went and picked up the ball. "Are you ready?" John asked Merlyn nodded. This time his arm was already out palm forward. A look of intense concentration on his face. "Here we go." John said and then tossed the ball just like last time. And just like last time the ball froze in the air. But then Merlyn turned his hand so that his palm was facing the ceiling. When he did that the ball started to slowly move toward him. Inch by inch it got closer. When the ball was above his palm it froze and Merlyn closed his fingers around it.

Everyone just watched the ball on it's journey toward Merlyn. Once he grabbed it both Maria and Emily were gobsmacked. Maria had never seen her son do something like this, and as for Emily she was still in partial shock from the previous display and with this added to it she might not move for a while. Emily was astounded. Neither of them saw Merlyn begin to sway back and forth. But John had. He knew just how much this took out of his son and was ready. As Merlyn collapsed John was right there to catch him. That brought the two women out of their revelry. They immediately shot up and ran over to Merlyn to make sure he was alright.

"Calm down, calm down. Our son is perfectly fine, he is simply extremely tired. I told you this would take a lot out of him." John was now carrying an unconscious Merlyn to the kitchen. "Maria I'll need your help. You hold him and help him eat I wouldn't be surprised to find that he is too tired to lift his arms, but he needs to eat. Once he finishes we will put him to bed. We can eat then." Merlyn was so tired that he did indeed need his mom to feed him. After he finished his food he just couldn't keep his eyes open any longer and went to sleep right there in his mother's lap. John and Maria put their boy to bed before eating dinner with Emily. They spent most of it discussing Merlyn and what he did tonight. Maria was worried about how much it tired Merlyn out. John told them that it was like working a muscle. And if he was right the only thing to do was to continue on as they had been. Maria saw his point and agreed. Emily was mostly silent still recovering from what she saw. After a few drinks however she seemed to come back to herself. Soon after dinner Emily took her leave as she didn't want to keep the couple up any longer not to mention that she was quite tired herself. After Emily left the couple took one last look at the lantern, still lit after all these months, before heading up to bed themselves.

A few months later we find the Ashwoods getting a rather somber Merlyn ready for his first day of school.

"Do I really need to go?" Merlyn asked. He really liked being home schooled so he saw no reason to go to this one.

"Yes you do. Look I'll make you a deal. You try this school for a year. If you still don't like it then we will home school you again. Do we have a deal?" John asked. Merlyn just nodded. It was obvious that he wasn't happy but this would be the best offer he got and he knew it. "Alright son you look very handsome. It's time to go." The entire family got in the car and left for St. Grogory Primary School. After a short drive they arrived. The family walked into the school and found the office.

"Yes, how can I help you." The woman behind the desk asked sweetly.

"This is our son's first day." Maria explained. "We wanted to make sure he got where he needed to be."

"Oh, I see." The woman said. "And what is the child's name?"

"Ashwood. Merlyn Ashwood." John put in.

"I see. Give me one moment." The woman said as she started to ruffle through her papers until she found the one she wanted. "Ah here we are. Well young man you are in room 113. Best be off now don't want to be late on your first day do you?" she asked with a chuckle. The woman then turned to John and Maria, "School gets out at three. Be sure to be here to pick him up alright."

John nodded and told her they would be. The family then left the office to find room 113. When they found it John and Maria knelt down next to their son to give him one final pep talk. "Son you will do just fine. So don't worry about a thing. Remember always be polite and courteous."

"Especially to girls." Maria pipped in.

"Yes especially to girls." John said with a chuckle. "And you should do fine."

"We will be waiting for you right out front at three. Okay?" Maria asked getting a little teary eyed. Merlyn nodded as he stepped forward to give them a goodbye hug.

"Go get'em son." John told Merlyn as he and Maria stood back up. Merlyn gave his father a solid nod and walked through the door and closed it behind him.

Right after he closed the door Merlyn turned around and took in his new surroundings. There were a lot of kids. He was startled when he laid eyes on his teacher. He did not get a good feeling from her. It was like she didn't want to be here so she was determined that no one else want to be here either. That and she seemed to be eyeing him.

"So who do we have here?" The teacher asked.

"I'm Merlyn, Merlyn Ashwood." He replied in a polite tone.

"Well Mr. Ashwood, you are late. What do you have to say for yourself? Hmm?" She asked glaring at him.

Merlyn had to school his features. He knew right there and then that he did not like this teacher. But he had to be polite. "Always be polite." His father would tell him. "It always works out in the end." His father was always full a bits of wisdom. Well here goes nothing. " I'm sorry. I am new to the school and was saying goodbye to my parents." Merlyn explained. 'Good job Merlyn, nice and polite.' he thought to himself.

"Be that as it may you are to be in your seat by eight o'clock. Am I understood?" Merlyn just nodded. "Very good. Now since you are new to the school you will need someone to show you around. Let me see." She made a show of thinking. Then with an evil smirk she continued. "Ah you there! Boy!" A boy with messy black hair looked up and pointed at himself in confusion. "Yes you. Now you will show Mr. Ashwood around is that clear." The boy just nodded quickly. "You had better do a good job or I will send word to your aunt and uncle." The boy's eyes went wide with fear and nodded quickly. "Good now Mr. Ashwood take your seat."

Merlyn went as far away from the old coot as possible which just so happened to be next to his new guide. The morning went by rather uneventfully. The teacher, Ms. Pritchard he found out her name was, told them what was going to be covered this year and told them that she would not tolerate any bad behavior of funny business of any kind. Merlyn was right earlier he most definitely did not like her. His parents were far better teachers. He couldn't wait till this year was over so he can go back to being home schooled. Eventually the bell rang and it was lunch time. Everyone got up and headed to the door. Well everyone except Merlyn and his guide. Merlyn looked over at him. He was skinny with over sized clothes and messy black hair. But he would withhold judgment until he knew the boy better. Well better introduce myself or I will never find out where I need to be to eat. "Hello, I'm Merlyn, Merlyn Ashwood." The boy looked up at him with a sad look on his face. The boy then took a deep breath and spoke.

"Hello. I'm Harry, Harry Potter."

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. I know we didn't really get any Harry time. But don't worry you will in the next chapter and every chapter from here on out for that matter. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. Thank you.**


	6. Chapter 6: Is that a black eye?

**A/N: Here is Chapter 6. This is where we begin to get into the Harry Potter books. In fact I believe you will see Hogwarts in at most three chapters. So please enjoy.**

'Please let the bell ring soon.' Harry thought. It wasn't that he was looking forward to lunch. Because he most certainly wasn't. He would be if he had anything to eat but he was still being punished from what happened yesterday. Yesterday morning his aunt and uncle woke to find that their prized rose bushes were dead. So what do they do? Do they call a nursery to replace them? No. Do they try to find the problem? No. Do they blame him? Yes, yes they did. That was how Harry found himself being dragged outside and forced to endure a yelling Uncle Vernon. To be honest it wasn't that bad at least he wasn't beaten this time. He was however only allowed one meal each day for the next three days. He hoped he could stay awake during class. He just didn't have the energy to keep his eyes open, so when he was picked by the teacher to show this new kid around school he was quite confused. Until his teacher threatened to send a note to the Dursleys. Then he understood, his aunt and uncle talked to the teacher and told her about how he was a horrid child. Always getting into fights, doing drugs, and probably anything else they could think of. None of it was true however. The bruises came from beatings his uncle, aunt, and cousin gave him. His unhealthy appearance came from not being able to eat enough. Everything that they told the school was so that they wouldn't believe Harry if he decided to tell someone. And the worst part was that it worked. The teachers all treated him like trash and the one time he had actually told someone about his life with his relatives, the Dursleys sent him off with a story of Harry being a habitual liar and handful of cash for his concern. After the man left Harry had received the worst beating of his life. He was sure that his uncle broke his arm. It still twinged every once in a while even after two years. He knew that he didn't want his aunt and uncle to get a note from the teacher that was for sure. So he would suck it up and do his best. After all he wanted to be able to eat more than once a day at some point in the near future.

The bell finally rang. Harry let out a sight of relief. He now had an hour and a half to relax without the teacher watching his every move. Then someone walked up next to him. Oh that's right he was the new kids guide. Joy. "Hello, I'm Merlyn, Merlyn Ashwood." The new kid said. Well let's get this over with, "Hello. I'm Harry, Harry Potter." He told the new kid. They just looked at each other for a minute.

Merlyn wondered what was up with this guy. He looked tired and sick, the teachers seemed to hate him, and judging by the fact that no one was sitting near him the students didn't like him either. 'I wonder why the teacher made him, of all people my guide.' Merlyn thought to himself. "So...what happens now?" Merlyn asked as he had never been in public school before.

"What do you mean? It's break." Harry responded.

"Oh. So what do we do during break?" Merlyn asked making Harry look at him like he was daft. Merlyn thought he might as well explain. "I have been home schooled. This is my first time in a public school." A look of comprehension crossed Harry's face.

"I see. Normally during break you eat your lunch and then play outside. You can eat your lunch wherever you want just so long as you are back at twelve thirty." Harry explained.

'Well that seems nice. But then why is Harry sitting here not eating.' Merlyn thought to himself. "So where do you like to eat?"

"Here." Harry replied.

"Really?" Merlyn asked in disbelief.

"I like it here." Harry said with a shrug. Maybe if he was just rude enough this kid would stop talking to him. If he didn't Dudley would certainly pound this kid into the ground. Harry hated seeing people hurt especially when they were hurt just for talking to him.

'Bullshit." Merlyn thought. 'There is no way this kid likes it here. After the way the teacher threatened him there is just no way.' "Alright well might as well start on lunch then don't want to waste any time." Merlyn said with a smile. As he was unpacking his lunch he noticed that Harry hadn't made a move for his bag. "Aren't you going to eat?" He asked.

"I'm not really hungry." Harry answered shortly. But his stomach gave him away with a loud rumble.

Merlyn chuckled. "Not hungry huh?" Merlyn asked calling him out on his lie. Merlyn then grabbed Harry's bag to fish his lunch out for him. Starving yourself was never a good thing and it looked like Harry starved himself a lot. "You have got to eat." He said as he opened the bag only to find beat up books. No lunch, no food at all. What the hell. Where is his food. Harry then grabbed the bag back.

"Hey! It's not polite to go through other peoples things!" Harry shouted at Merlyn. "Great just what I need. Another bully.' Harry thought.

"Whoa, hold on there I was just going to grab your lunch." Merlyn tried to explain.

"As you can see I obviously don't have a lunch to steal so just" Harry began but was unable to finish as Merlyn cut him off.

"Whoa there, calm down a second. I wasn't going to steal your lunch. I was going to get it out for you. You are obviously hungry and you aren't looking tough by ignoring it. Besides it isn't healthy to skip a meal." Merlyn said his hands raised. He was just trying to help the guy after all. Harry looked properly chastised. "Hey, why didn't you just tell me you forgot your lunch. It's not a big deal. Here." Merlyn said pushing their desks together. "Why don't you share mine with me." He said giving Harry a smile.

Harry was stunned. He had been trying to get rid of this kid. He had been rude and even yelled at him but he just stuck around. Maybe this Merlyn wasn't so bad. But if he shared his lunch then Dudley would beat him up for sure. And he couldn't let that happen. "Thank you, but I can't let you do that."

Merlyn was confused this kid has to be starving and he is saying no. Not just no but no to dads food! "Hey I didn't poison it or anything. It should be really good. My dad made it after all and he is the best cook there is." John said proudly.

Harry just shook his head. "No, you don't understand if people see you being nice to me something bad will happen to you."

"Really?" Merlyn asked. "What bad thing will happen to me?"

"My cousin Dudley." Harry told him. "He is the biggest kid in school and he doesn't really like me. So nobody else is allowed to either." Harry said sadly hanging his head.

"Wait just because he is the biggest no one can be your friend. That is just stupid if you ask me." Merlyn said with a laugh.

"Look he is kind of the school bully so kids just don't want to get on his bad side. And unfortunately I am a one way ticket to his bad side." Harry told him still looking down at his desk. Harry heard Merlyn's chair get moved back and figured that he had finally gotten through to him. It was nice though having someone be kind to him even if it was only for a few minutes. Harry then took a deep breath and was about to go to a safe little hiding spot that he found last year. He really hoped Dudley didn't find this one. Before Harry could stand up however there was a sudden thump on his desk and it startled him so much that he almost fell off his chair. Once he regained control of his breathing he looked up and was shocked to see the smiling face of Merlyn.

Merlyn was holding onto his lunchbox that he just slammed down on Harry's desk. "I don't let anyone tell me who I can and can't be friends with. So go on ahead and eat your cousin can shove it.:" Merlyn told an astounded Harry.

Harry was stunned. No one said that about his cousin. He just nodded and promised himself that when Dudley came for Merlyn he would take the beating in his place. Harry slowly opened the lunch box and gasped. There was a three course meal in it. There was chicken soup, a large portion of shepherds pie, and to top it all off a slice of some sort of pie for dessert. "Wow." Harry breathed. "Your dad mad all of this?" Merlyn just nodded.

"Well he only made it because it's my first day. He said from now on I would be making my own lunch. Though I wish he would continue making them." Merlyn told Harry. Harry gained a rather somber expression while listening to Merlyn.

"I can't take this. Your dad made it and he won't make any more for you I can't accept this. Thank you though." and he meant it. Yes he was hungry, yes the food smelled delicious, but this was a special lunch and he wouldn't take it from Merlyn.

"What are you talking about? Of course you can accept it don't be thick. It's only leftovers from last night."

Wait...what? These were leftovers?! Harry was blown away. There is no way. The food in front of him could have come from a fancy restaurant. And these are the leftovers. Harry shook his head. Either way it didn't seem like Merlyn would back down so he lifted the lid on the soup and dug right in. The moment the soup touched his lips he was in heaven. This was the best thing he had tasted in his entire life. Once he finished the soup he started on the shepherds pie. Nope he was wrong. This was the best thing he ever tasted. The meat and potatoes were making love to his stomach. He was no longer tired, he felt energetic for the first time in a long while. Harry simply wolfed it all down before moving on to the pie. He had no idea what it was but everything else was delicious so once again he dived in. Harry was not disappointed as he took his first bite of turtle pie. The softness of the cheesecake with the sweetness of the caramel and the savory bitter dark chocolate made for what he believed to be perfection. Harry for possibly the first time in his life was full. "Wow. Thank you Merlyn that was de-hic." Harry began until the hiccups started. Then he just laughed. Merlyn soon joined in.

God Merlyn thought as he watched Harry eat. He is taking it in like a vacuum. Do his parents not feed him or something. The moment Harry started to hiccup though Merlyn nearly lost it. He didn't know why it was so funny but Harry trying to laugh while hiccuping was hilarious. Merlyn quickly reached into a bag and grabbed a thermos and poured Harry a cup of black tea. He downed it quickly to kill his hiccups. Merlyn continued to chuckle as he took a couple of gulps from his thermos. "Alright, feeling better?" He asked Harry.

Harry let out a contented breath "Better than ever. Thank you. You didn't have to do it." He said shyly.

"Ah, don't worry about it. So let's pack up and head outside." Merlyn said as he started to put everything up.

Oh no. If we go outside Dudley will be sure to find out. "Um, Merlyn..."

"What is it. And just call me Lynn."

"I don't really feel like going outside today. I think I'll just go to the library. But you should go have fun." Harry said a little dejectedly. He liked Lynn. He was nice to him and didn't seem to care about Dudley. Harry didn't know what that said about his intelligence but it was nice to have a friend. Now that he thought about it his first friend. And Harry was going to enjoy it for as long as it lasted, which probably meant until Dudley found out he admitted sadly.

Merlyn could tell that something was wrong and it wasn't that Harry didn't want to go outside. He liked Harry he seemed like a nice guy. Albeit one who has been picked on and abused. He had heard about different ways to abuse someone from his mom when they were trying to bring back his memory. It never worked and if Merlyn was honest with himself he was glad he couldn't remember. Abuse no matter what form it took was horrible and if it had indeed happened to him he did not want to remember. But looking at Harry now. He remembered what he looked like the morning after his parents found him and Harry looked far worse then he ever had. "Okay well then lets head to the library." The two boys then spent the remainder of the break in the library talking. They mostly talked about Merlyn and his family. Harry seemed to deflect most of the questions that Merlyn had asked him. He didn't push but it did seem a bit odd to him. The rest of the day went by rather quickly. It was rather boring, however Merlyn did have to admit that he did learn something. His teacher was a jerk.

John and Maria were waiting just outside of the school doors as it turned three o'clock. The school bell went off and almost instantly an ocean of students emerged from the front doors of the school. John and Maria started to look around frantically for their son but couldn't find him in the sea the students. "Lynn!" Maria called out.

"I'm right here mom!" Merlyn cried out over the noise. Causing Maria to nearly jump out of her skin.

"Let's get out of here." The Ashwoods then made their way to the car and went home. "So how was school?" John asked while working his way out of the parking lot.

"It was horrible. The teacher is mean and stupid. You two are way better." Merlyn said making his parents smile.

"We know that it is an adjustment just give it some time. Your teacher isn't really all that bad is she?" Maria asked.

"Yes. She yelled at me for being late." Merlyn told her.

"But you were on time. We were there." Maria said starting to get a little upset.

"She said that I needed to be in my seat when the bell rang." Merlyn said.

"Oh, well I suppose but she really shouldn't have yelled at you. Don't worry we will be earlier tomorrow." Maria said trying to mend a bridge for his teacher. She couldn't really be that bad she is a teacher for heavens sake. "Did anything else happen today?"

"No it was pretty boring." Merlyn answered while thinking about his first friend. He surprised himself when he realized that he was actually looking forward to tomorrow.

The next few weeks went rather similarly to his first day. However he did start to always pack two lunches when Harry forgot his again on the second day. They spent their break in the library talking or playing a card game. After the first few weeks Merlyn started to push Harry a little bit. In fact after a couple of days of guilt tripping Harry. They actually went outside during break.

"Come on. We have spent the last few weeks in this boring library. Lets go outside today. We can play some football." Merlyn said trying to convince his friend. Who to be fair he still did not know much about but he would. Harry was just too nice a guy not to like. He obviously didn't have money, but he seemed to have a lot of heart. One day they were walking down the hall to the library when a little girl came running the other way tripped Harry ran over to help her.

"Here let me help you up." Harry said. The girl looked to be on the verge of crying. But Harry seemed to know exactly what to do. He gave her a hug. She hugged him right back. "There now doesn't it feel better after a hug?" the girl nodded in response. Unfortunately it was then that our teacher, Ms. Pritchard, decided to come into the hallway.

"You Potter!" She snarled striding over to the two "Get away from that girl this instant!" When she got to them Ms. Pritchard grabbed Harry roughly by the arm and practically threw him across the hall. Harry landed on his butt. The little girl tried to go to him but Ms. Pritchard grabbed her by the hand and led her away while telling the girl to stay away from that Potter boy. Merlyn ran over to Harry to help him up. Harry just shrugged off the whole thing as if he was used to the treatment.

"What was that?" Merlyn asked.

"What was what?"

"She threw you. Shouldn't we be you know telling someone. She isn't allowed to do that."

"Just let it go." Harry told him. "Besides I've had way worse from my uncle anyway." Harry said under his breath not intending for Merlyn to hear. But he did. Merlyn wanted to say something however they had only been friends for a few weeks so he didn't think that it was his place. And besides it was obvious that Harry didn't mean for him to hear it so he would respect Harry's privacy. For now anyways.

That was all a couple of days ago. Today they were heading outside for the first time. Merlyn was looking forward to it. He would finally be able to play soccer with someone other than his parents. Not that they were bad. The problem was that they were just too good. Especially his dad, and on top of that they would never go easy on him. They always told him that if they went easy on him that he would never get any better. They were right of course. The one time he actually played with kids his own age he dominated. Unfortunately after a few games no one wanted to play on the opposing team anymore so he was politely asked to leave. His parents got into an argument with the other parents saying that they can't do this. They simply said that these are just fun matches and the other kids weren't having fun playing against Merlyn. His parents explained the situation to him. He just didn't get it. When he looses at something he works hard to get better not complain that his opponent was too good. That was one reason he never made any friends before almost everyone he met thought that way and he just didn't like it. Until he met Harry. 'Lets see how you think Harry.' Merlyn thought to himself. He needed to see what his friend was made of. Would he give up or keep going. Before they went out they visited the gym to pick up a football. When they opened the doors they were assaulted with the noise of the playground.

"Whoa, it is loud out here." Merlyn said dryly to Harry who just chuckled. "Hey there is a field over there. Ready to play?" Merlyn asked with a grin.

"I don't really know how." Harry told his friend sadly. "I could just watch." He put forth trying not to ruin his friends time outside.

"Don't be silly that just means that I have to teach you." Merlyn told him. He then took off toward the field with Harry following him.

They had a whole hour to play and Merlyn planned to use every moment of it. It was actually a lot of fun teaching Harry how to play. Although they never actually got around to having a game they had a blast just running around kicking the ball to each other.

"Damn, Harry" Heaved Merlyn, "You're pretty good. I didn't expect that from someone who has never played before." Merlyn said giving Harry a pointed look.

"Well I haven't played." Harry said innocently while trying to keep a grin from his face. "I may have watched a hundred or two games though." He said with a laugh and letting the grin come. He then just realized where they were. Dudley could see them at any minute if he hadn't already. He looked around but there was no sign of him. Harry breathed out a sigh of relief. He had let himself relax and have fun and nothing bad happened. This was a good day.

They didn't go back out during break for another couple of weeks. Harry just wanted to go back to the library but Merlyn wouldn't go back in there if he could help it. The librarian gave him the creeps. So Merlyn and Harry started to just explore the school. They had to keep out of sight of the teachers or they would get in trouble. Harry was extremely nervous the first time. But every day he became a little more confident and a little bolder. Merlyn just looked at his best friend. There was no way in hell that Harry would be doing any of this when they first met. Sure he still looked unhealthy but at least he had a smile on now. Today was going to be exciting Merlyn hadn't told Harry about his plan but once they got upstairs he would. Once they reached the second landing Merlyn put his bag down and reached inside.

Harry watched his best friend digging through his bag wondering what on earth he was looking for. That was until Merlyn pulled out three water balloons.

"Merlin!" Harry hissed. "What do you think you are doing?"

"Having some fun. With any luck they will get Ms. Pritchard." Merlyn replied in a conspiratorial whisper.

"We will get into so much trouble! We can't do this." Harry tried to reason with him.

"We will only get in trouble if we are caught." Merlyn said. "Look, we tie a string around the end and then loosely tap it to the underside of the railing. I timed it out last night. Trust me." Merlyn shot his best friend a grin.

"Merlyn this is not right. It's down right mean!" Harry scolded not believing what his best friend was about to do.

"Actually it's not. Picking on someone is mean. Pranking someone at random is not. Besides it might not hit anyone at all. And think about it hitting Ms. Pritchard." Merlyn said giving Harry a grin.

"Alright but it better not hurt anyone." Harry said now getting into the spirit at the thought of Ms. Pritchard getting hit with a water balloon.

"Okay. It's all set now we hide and watch the fun." Merlyn said as they went back downstairs.

Merlyn looked at his watch it was almost time for the bell to ring which means that Ms. Pritchard would be coming out of the teachers lounge soon. He thought about what Harry said and decided that when it came to Ms. Pritchard he was willing to be a little mean. Merlyn lifted his palm and took a deep breath. He had never done this over such a distance but he thought he could do it. Just a simple tug that's all the balloons needed to fall. As he released his breath the tingling pulsing came. Over time the tingling had become less a tingle and more of a soothing pulse. The halls started filling with students as everyone was trying to get to class. Then the door to the teachers lounge opened and there she was. Pull. All three of the balloons started racing toward the floor. They were going to miss until an unsuspecting Ms. Pritchard stepped right underneath them. Splash. Water went everywhere. Especially all over a certain bitch of a teacher. Everyone just stopped and stared. Then someone started to laugh. That one laugh set off the entire student population. Everyone was laughing at the water logged teacher. Especially two young boys that were hiding just around the corner. However everyone became deathly silent when the same water logged teach screamed. Everyone from every grade and every class bolted. Harry and Merlyn had a hard time finding the way to their classroom but they knew that they needed to or face the wrath of a wet Ms. Pritchard.

Over the next few months they explored the school and of course pulled more pranks. They never targeted anyone it all depended on who was at the wrong place at the right time. It was mere coincidence that Ms. Pritchard seemed to be at those places more than anyone else. But it wasn't all pranking. One day they found their way onto the roof and decided that it was a nice place to be so when they just wanted to relax they would bring their lunches up there and watch the clouds.

One day Harry was heading up to the roof when he was stopped by Merlyn. "What's up?" Harry asked.

"Lets take a break today. I could use some exercise. Come on, lets grab the football." Merlyn said as he turned and headed for the gym.

Harry felt like he owed Merlyn this one. After all they had been kind of keeping to themselves. And besides it was fun last time. Once they got the ball they headed outside to the same field that they used last time.

Merlyn looked around and noticed that there were a lot of idle kids all around the playground. So he might as well invite them to play. "Hey everyone football in the field! We need players! All are welcome!" He shouted Harry looked like he was punched in the gut. "Hey, Harry don't worry. This will be fun. Trust me." Merlyn said and Harry seemed to calm down. By the time they got to the field they had about ten people. Five on five was pretty good.

By the time they got there Harry was feeling better. After all they were in a group maybe Dudley wouldn't see him. 'Yea think positive Harry' he thought. And he did right up until he turned around and standing right there was his cousin Dudley with his gang right behind him. Harry gulped when he saw the look his cousin was giving him. This was the main reason he didn't play sports. When they played sports together he tended to end up hurt. Really hurt. Like arm broken hurt. And all Dudley had to do was say it was an accident. That it was all part of the game and he will be off the hook. Harry was about to leave when he looked at Merlyn. He couldn't leave his best friend to the likes of Dudley and his gang. He would stay and deal with the pain that was coming.

Merlyn saw the look of fear on his best friends face. He wondered what had happened until he noticed Dudley and his group of idiots. Harry had pointed them out to him a few months ago so that he would know to stay away from them. He wasn't afraid of them though his mom had drilled those self defense lessons into his brain and muscles to the point that he thought he could take care of these guys in his sleep. His mom did see fit to remind him that if he was ever attacked to try to run first. The goal was to stay alive not kick someones ass. Merlyn knew very well his limitations courtesy once again of his mom. She had made sure of it. Taking on someone you can't beat is stupid. She always said that if you enter a fight you can't win you were an idiot. Merlyn had been watching this little gang of Dudley's for a month now. And he was sure he was going to win this fight. Honestly he was ready a week ago but it took this long to get Harry to play football again. And he needed the excuse of playing a sport so that he wouldn't get in trouble. As he always seemed to tell Harry you only get in trouble if you get caught so you better learn to hide. Today he would be hiding behind football. Merlyn was about to form the teams when Dudley decided to take over.

"Right, everyone listen up. Both me and Pierce are the caip'ns got it?" Dudley announced. Everyone just nodded knowing not to disagree with Dudley. Everyone that is except for Merlyn.

"Hey tubby!" Merlyn called out. Silence filled the air. Thoughts running through the kids heads, what did he just do, he is so dead. Harry was just shell shocked he had specifically told Lynn not to become a target for Dudley and now he had done just that. Merlyn didn't care everything was going according to plan. According to his dad you can control crowds, manipulate minds, and make the world turn so long as you have a plan and execute it flawlessly. Now while Merlyn was no where near his dad's level. He leaned enough to control this conversation. "You see this." He said holding up the ball. "I have the ball. That automatically makes me a team captain. But I suppose you could be the other." He gave him just one more jab to make sure Dudley would try something. Another piece of advice from his mom. Never be the aggressor. You have to let the other guy make the first move. Attacking someone was never right, however defending yourself or someone else was always a good thing. "As I am the one with the ball I will pick first. Harry." That should do it. Everyone was shocked before now they were flabbergasted. No one picked Harry. Not because he wasn't any good, but because of Dudley. This kid obviously had a death wish.

"Fine take my puny cousin." Dudley sniped. "I choose Piers."

Merlyn didn't know anyone else's name so he just pointed to a random person who wasn't part of Dudley's gang. "What's your name?" Merlyn asked.

"George"

"Alright, I pick George." And it continued until the two teams were formed. One made up from Dudley and his gang, the other consisting of Merlyn, Harry, and everyone else. Now the fun begins.

The game started off just like any other and now Merlyn had control of the ball running toward the goal. That is until a large smiling Dudley decided to try to stop him. Merlyn grinned, everything was going according to plan. Merlyn kicked the ball between the big guy's legs and spun around him before continuing on sparing the brute a small glance only to see him go red in the face. Apparently he isn't used to people beating him. During the next half hour of play Dudley went after Merlyn constantly. Each time however he found himself either on his face or his ass. Merlyn just watched as Dudley got angrier and angrier. It was rather funny, his large round face getting red.

Merlyn had just stolen the ball away from Piers and started looking around for Dudley. But he wasn't anywhere. 'Where are you?' he thought to himself as he continued to run down the field. Then his eye's widened. He had found Dudley, charging right for Harry. 'No. This is not part of the plan. I made fun of him for a reason so why isn't he still trying to hit me.' Harry wasn't looking in Dudley's direction instead keeping his eye's on the ball. He knew he couldn't make it in time so he did the only thing he could think of. He kicked the ball. He kicked the ball as hard as he possibly could.

Harry saw Merlyn kick the ball towards him, but he kicked to hard and to high. The ball was going to land far behind him. He still needed to try to get to it. He turned around and found himself looking at a charging Dudley. Harry froze. Right before Dudley got to him the football hit his cousin smack dab in the middle of his face. Everything seemed to go quiet as Dudley collapsed apparently unconscious. Then he started to be able to hear again his team was yelling at him to go for the goal. He looked down and there was the ball so Harry went for it. He dribbled the ball down the field and kicked it to make the first goal of his life. His entire team cheered and crowded around him. Everyone was cheering and celebrating. Nobody ever beat Dudley or his gang at anything. They were just to big and strong. But not anymore.

Merlyn made his way to Harry. He figured that now was probably a very good time to head back inside. They did still have half an hour of break left but the best time for Dudley to wake up was when they were not around. "Hey great shot Harry! That was awesome!" He then motioned to the limp form of Dudley Dursley, "I think we should head to the roof." Harry's eyes got a little wide and he nodded quickly.

Once they made it to the roof they both collapsed. Harry just looked at his best friend and smiled. Harry might keep quiet in class, he may make bad grades, but he was not stupid. He kept quiet to not get noticed by Ms. Pritchard, he made sure to get bad grades so he wouldn't get punished for doing better than Dudley, neither of those things meant that he was stupid far from it. It might have taken him a bit but he eventually noticed what was going on. He new his best friend was clever but this was on a whole new level. Lynn intentionally provoked Dudley just to make sure Dudley went after him and not Harry. He then thought about how every time Dudley went at Lynn he ended up on the ground. And finally that pass to him. Now Harry admittedly had only played football with him once before and a miss is one thing but Lynn was really good, and while he missed he shouldn't have missed by more than a meter or so and certainly not three. His whole plan was to teach his cousin a lesson. Harry couldn't be more thankful to his best friend. But that didn't mean he couldn't have a little harmless fun. "Boy that was fun wasn't it?" Harry asked.

"Yep. See I told you football is fun." Merlyn said.

"You're right, what can I say. Oh, and thanks for what you did with Dudley."

"No prob..."Merlyn started but then realized what happened. "Damn, how did you figure it out?"

"I'm not stupid Lynn." Harry laugh while explaining his reasoning.

After hearing Harry's thought process Merlyn started laughing. "Well I never thought you were but I'm still a little shocked." Merlyn laughed out.

"My favorite part had to be the football to the face. That was the best shot I have ever seen!" Harry exclaimed.

"Actually that was luck. I mean I tried to but it was mostly luck." Merlyn admitted. He then realized that they had been up here for a while and checked his watch. "Oh shit. We need to head back before Ms. Pritchard throws a fit." They headed back to class. They did manage to catch Dudley's gang dragging him to the nurse's office. That put a smile on their faces.

It has been a couple of months since the football game. And Harry had to admit that his life had gotten a little better at least it had at school. Dudley didn't stay away from him precisely he just never seemed to notice him. Which for Harry was a big step up. He was actually happy for the first time in his life.

Merlyn had been enjoying the last few months as well. They had stepped up their pranks as well. It has been a blast. Since that first football game they now spent a lot more of their break outside playing. They had also apparently inspired other students into becoming pranksters. In fact just the previous day someone had turned Ms. Pritchard's wig blue. It was a beautiful prank and God help him he was jealous. Neither he nor Harry had any idea who did it. None the less, they were happy that it happened she was being rather pissy yesterday. He wish he knew how it was done. So many possibilities. Both he and Harry were going to try to figure it out during break today. He got to class before Harry which was a little odd normally Harry was waiting for him to arrive. It probably wasn't anything bad though Harry did get here after him every once in a while. Harry did eventually walk in right before the bell and took his seat. Merlyn now knew something was wrong. Harry didn't say hi, wave, or even look at him. Something was definitely up. He would have to find out during break.

It took forever but eventually the break bell sounded. Finally he could figure out what was up with Harry. Merlyn followed Harry into the hall and called to him. "Harry! Hey Harry!" But he just kept walking. What the hell his best friend was ignoring him. Oh hell no, if something happened he sure as all hell wanted to know about it. Merlyn quickly caught up to Harry put a hand on his shoulder and turned him around so they were face to face.

"Hey Harry wha...Is that a black eye!?"

 **A/N: I hope that you enjoyed the chapter. Please leave a review to let me know what you think. If you have any suggestions please feel free to let me know. Thank you. Until next time.**


	7. Chapter 7: I'm home

**A/N: Wow this is the longest chapter so far. They just keep on getting longer. I was actually planning for more to happen this chapter but I didn't want it to be too long. Remember in two chapters we will be Hogwarts bound. Enjoy**

"Hey Harry wha...Is that a black eye!?" Merlyn wasted no time in grabbing Harry's arm and dragging him up the stairs towards the roof. The moment they arrived Merlyn shut the door and turned to face his friend. "What happened!? That's a black eye!" Merlyn then noticed the look on Harry's face, it was sad and defeated. "What happened Harry?" Merlyn asked in a softer voice.

"It was nothing just an accident." Harry told him before turning back toward the door to leave.

"Bullshit! That's a black eye! You don't get one by accident!" Merlyn shouted. He continued after a deep breath to calm him down "Harry I'm your best friend. Please, please tell me what happened. I can help you."

"No you can't! No one can!" Harry shouted back.

"Well we don't know that until you tell me what happened!?" Merlyn continued

"Yes I do. I tried to tell someone!" Harry yelled before taking a breath. "Merlyn I told a teacher. He came to my house to talk to my aunt and uncle. They told him that I get into fights and that I was a liar. They gave the guy some money and he left. Then my uncle gave me the worst beating of my life. I don't want to go through that again."

"Wait! Your uncle did this to you?" Merlyn asked. His mind was racing, what on earth was going on in Harry's house.

"Kind of." Harry sighed. "I mean he did but he didn't punch my face. He doesn't punch me where people could see. This," Harry continued gesturing to his eye, "is from when he threw me into my cupboard. I hit a shelf I made and..." Harry ended with a shrug.

"Harry how often does he do this!? And wait, what do you mean 'your cupboard'?" Merlyn was having a very hard time keeping his cool. He knew he had to get the rest of the story out of Merlyn.

"Well..." Harry paused. This was it he was going to finally tell someone else. But this was his best friend. He could tell him right? Even if he couldn't do anything about it, it felt good. And Lynn wouldn't tell anyone, he knew he would be beaten again and Lynn wouldn't want that. "I only get beat two or three times a week. And as for 'my cupboard' it is where I live. When I am not doing chores I am locked in my cupboard." At the look of horror on Lynn's face he quickly tried to set his friend at ease. "Hey it's not so bad. I mean while I'm in my cupboard I'm not being beaten or chased by Dudley and his gang." This unfortunately did not lessen the look of horror on his friends face. In fact the look intensified. Harry was starting to panic. 'Oh no! He is going to tell someone I just know it!' "Lynn, you can't tell anyone! Please promise me!"

Merlyn didn't know what to do. He couldn't keep quiet about this. But Harry was his best friend. His parents always told him that sometimes you have to sacrifice things for the people you cared about. And Merlyn knew he cared about Harry. He had even started to think about Harry as the brother he never had. He couldn't let his brother continue to go through this. If he told someone he had a feeling that their friendship would be over. With a deep breath Merlyn decided what he needed to do. Harry was right there was nothing he could do to help, but he did know someone who could. Merlyn couldn't even look at Harry as he walked back inside.

Once the door closed behind Merlyn Harry collapsed as tears started pouring from his eyes. What had just happened? Lynn had just walked away from him. His best friend. Why? Did he just loose his best friend? This was far worse than any punishment his uncle had ever given him. Harry had never truly cared about anyone, at least not like this. No one had ever been there for him like Lynn. He had come to care more for Lynn than anyone else. He had even begun to think of Lynn as the brother he never had. He certainly acted more like family than his aunt, uncle, or cousin ever did. Apparently Merlyn didn't feel the same.

After Merlyn shut the door he slid down the wall. 'I have to be the worst friend in the history of friends.' Merlyn thought sadly. How could he not notice? His best friend was being constantly beaten. He lived locked in a cupboard under the stairs. Not to mention god knows what else his family did to him. As he thought about Harry's problem he couldn't help remembering the day that they met and the lunch that Harry had 'forgot'. Hell all of the times that Harry 'forgot' his lunch. He was being bloody starved!

It took a few minutes for Merlyn to regain control of himself. The more he thought about it the more he realized that Harry was right. There was not a single thing he could do to help. But he knew a certain aunt of his that could. Merlyn might not have been a good friend before but that was about to change. Right here. Right now. With a new resolve that he had never felt before he picked himself ran to the office. "Excuse me." He said trying to get the office lady's attention.

"Yes, how can I help you?" The lady asked in a sickly sweet voice.

"I need to call my mom." Merlyn told her.

"Oh, I'm sorry sweetie but students aren't aloud to make calls." She told him with a smile.

"Please. It's really important." Merlyn tried.

"No I'm Sorry." The lady said the smile still on her face.

Merlyn left the office dejectedly. He needed to call his mom. There had to be a way. And then it hit him, there was a pay phone in front of the school. He just had to get to it and make a call before someone saw him. He didn't have a lot of time. Merlyn knew that the only way to leave was to get past the office lady. He looked around there had to be a way to get her away from her desk. When Merlyn peered down the hallway he saw there was a ladder leaning against the wall. He then hid himself so that when the time was right he could run out the door. Merlyn was a little nervous he had never used his gift on something as large as a ladder before. But it's not like he had to pick it up just knock it over. He had to do this, for Harry. Taking a deep breath he brought out that tingling pulse. With each pulse it increased in intensity. Merlyn held onto it until he didn't think he could take anymore and released all the energy at the ladder. The ladder practically flew down the hallway banging into practically everything much to Merlyn's shock. Everyone ran out into the hall to find the source of the noise. The office lady practically flew towards the ladder to see what happened. Merlyn came out of his shock when the office lady started yelling at everyone to go about their business. This was his chance and he needed to take it. Merlyn ran outside as quickly as he could. He shoved a 50 pence piece in the phone and called home.

"Hello," His mom's voice said. Thank god!

"Mom! " Merlyn almost shouted.

"Lynn!? What is it? What's wrong?" Maria asked worry in her voice.

"I need you to come to school." Merlyn got out as quickly as he could. "Please hurry. The office lady wouldn't let me call you so I had to..." he wanted to finish but a the large office lady had grabbed him and pulled him away from the phone.

"What did I tell you! And you left the school you are in so much trouble young man!" The office lady practically shouted at him.

Maria was scared stiff when her son's voice disappeared. Oh no what happened. "Merlyn? Merlyn!" Then she heard some lady screaming at her son. Her son wasn't done talking to her so he had to drop the receiver Maria realized. Someone had dragged her son away! How dare they! "Jonathan!" Maria yelled not quite sure where John.

"Yes love?" John answered from the back yard.

"Merlyn's in trouble! He was telling me how he needed us at school when someone dragged him away from the phone.

John was silent for a few seconds. Someone was manhandling his son. 'No one hurts my son!' John thought. "Let's go!"

Merlyn was now sitting in the office looking at a rather displeased headmaster. "Well? What do you have to say for yourself young man?" The headmaster asked him.

"I just wanted to call my parents and the lady," Merlyn then pointed at the secretary, "wouldn't let me so I went to the phone booth." It made sense to him. And hopefully his parents would get there soon. The headmaster had made him wait twenty minutes until the headmaster was free to talk to him.

"And what about the ladder?" The headmaster asked with a scowl.

"I don't know anything about that." Merlyn answered as innocently as he could.

Just as the headmaster was going to start back in on him his parents came striding into the office. "Lynn!" Maria exclaimed as she ran over to her son and scooped him into a hug. Her boy was safe thank god.

As his wife was tending to their son John turned on the headmaster. "I would like an explanation why we are here. We get a call from our son saying he needs us here and then in the middle of a sentence he is dragged off by some woman. Explain now!" John demanded with all the venom he could muster.

While the headmaster was trying to placate Mr. Ashwood, Maria was being dragged out of the office by her son. "Mom I need your help!"

"What is it honey. We dad is dealing with those people it will be alright. You won't be coming back here again. Everything will be alright just go grab you things and we will go home."

"No!" Maria was shocked, she knew her son didn't like it here. "Mom, that's not why I called you. It's about my best friend." Now Maria was still. Her son didn't have any friends that she knew of. Not that she didn't ask, cause she did. But he would always be rather vague saying things like, "I met a few people." or "The other kids seem nice."

"You have never mentioned a friend not to mention a best friend. How long have you two been friends?" Maria asked a little hurt that her son never told her.

"Mom I'm sorry that I never told you. I just didn't want you pushing me." Merlyn told her while looking down not liking his mothers hurt tone of voice. "We became friends on my first day during lunch. But that's not the point." Merlyn said looking back into his moms eyes. "Mom I just found out that Harry is being beaten! He goes home every night to do chores, get beaten, and then locked in a cupboard! I can't do anything about it. Please help him!" Merlyn begged as he began crying at the end. "Please Mom! I'll do anything if you help me this once."

Maria was silent. After everything her son just told her how could she refuse. Not that she would refuse someone who needed help anyway but the way her son went on broke her heart. "Honey, come on stop crying of course we will help you. Where is your friend? I think I should talk to him."

"I left him on the roof. After he told me what happened I had to leave. I couldn't stay there anymore." Merlyn told her starting to cry again.

Maria stopped. "You left your best friend after he told you all of this?" Merlyn nodded. "Merlyn!" She admonished, "Why would you leave your friend?" Maria had never been so disappointed in her son. In fact she had never been disappointed in him. Until now.

"He was ignoring me all day Mom." With every word Merlyn uttered Maria's disappointment grew. "He knew that I wasn't a good friend. I had to drag him to the roof before he would tell me what's wrong! When he did I realized that if I had been a good friend I would have figured it out a long time ago." Maria's disappointment dissipated instantly. "So I did the only thing I could think of to help. I called you. Please help him! Even if he doesn't want me to be his friend anymore he is still mine!" Merlyn said resolutely. At that moment all of the disappointment she felt turned into pride.

"It's alright honey. Let's just get to your friend and we will figure everything out." Maria told him as they headed towards the roof. When they arrived they found Harry sitting holding his knees to him and crying.

"Harry!" Merlyn yelled out as he ran to his friend.

Harry was feeling terrible. First his uncle beat him and locked him in his cupboard, then his first and only friend was scared off by stories of his 0life. He always thought this would happen but couldn't stop himself from telling Lynn everything when he dragged him hear. When Lynn demanded to knew what was going on he thought that maybe he finally had someone he could lean on when things got really bad. But once again the universe smacked him down. The universe seemed to like doing it almost as much as Dudley. So here he was crying at the loss of his friend at the thought that if he had been strong enough to just hide his pain then he would still have his brother. Harry didn't hear the door to the roof fly open or the following footsteps.

When Merlyn saw the state of his friend he just ran over to him. "Harry! Harry I'm sorry!" Merlyn shouted at his friend as he hugged him tight.

Harry was in shock. His best friend, his brother, was hugging him and saying that he was sorry? What was he sorry for? Harry pulled back and shook his head while wiping away his tears. "What are you sorry about? I'm the one who should be sorry for scaring you by telling you what happens at home. I'm sorry I scared you off. If we can still be friends I promise I won't say anything about it anymore." Harry said desperately trying to get his brother back.

Merlyn was shocked. Harry thought he was scared and didn't want to be his friend anymore. God he felt stupid he never should have left the way he did. This was all his fault. 'Some friend I am. When my best friend needs comfort what do I do. I leave.' Merlyn thought. "Harry what are you talking about? I never stopped being your friend. When you ignored me I thought you didn't want to be my friend anymore. When you told me what happened to you I realized I was a horrible friend. I should have noticed what was going on a long time ago. Can you forgive me?" Merlyn asked as both boys ran at each other and embraced showing each other that there was nothing to forgive.

Maria just watched this spectacle with a wide smile. These two idiot kids. Getting all upset over something that didn't even happen. Maria just continued to observe the two friends. They acted more like brothers making up than friends. At least one good thing came out of sending Merlyn to this school. That thought brought her back to the present. She needed to talk to Harry. Cough* cough*. This brought the two boys out of it. "Hello there, my name is Maria Ashwood." Maria introduced herself. "What's your name?" she asked.

"I'm Harry Potter." Harry replied. Harry was wondering exactly who she was and what she was doing on the roof.

"I'm Merlyn's mom." Maria added seeing the confused look on Harry's face. "Merlyn told me about what happened to you last night." Harry had a horrified expression on his face and immediately started pleading with Merlyn's mother.

"Please don't tell anyone. If they find out I told I'll get beat again. Please!" Harry begged his lip twitching.

Maria was livid. She knew she needed to keep a level head but hearing this made her blood boil. "Harry I promise that they will never hurt you again. But I need to know everything. Okay? I promise that I will not leave your side until you are safe."

Harry looked up at this woman and couldn't help but trust her. He had heard all about her from Lynn. He glanced over at Lynn. When Lynn gave him a nod Harry turned back to Maria. He then began to tell her everything. His parents dying in a car crash. His aunt and uncle beating and starving him. How he would get locked up in his cupboard for days. And everything else.

The longer Maria listened the more pissed off she was getting. She was about to blow her top. After she heard everything she knelt down next to Harry and brought him into a comforting hug. She was able to pick him up without any difficulty.

Harry was shocked to say the least the only hug he had received before today had been from Lynn. But those were different from the one that he was currently experiencing. The hugs from Lynn were happy and celebratory. This hug was warmth, comfort, and safety. Harry never wanted to leave Maria's arms.

Maria noticed immediately that Harry was far to light for his age. God how could they starve this boy? She needed to get to John and give Emily a call. As she was walking downstairs she noticed that the boy with his arms around her neck had drifted off to sleep. She wasn't surprised that much crying and emotional turmoil would tire out anyone. Just as they made it down the stairs they could hear John's voice coming from the office.

"First of all you have no right to bar my son from calling home! And second, how dare you manhandle my son! I don't care what you think he did. You have no proof whatsoever! And even if you did it is your duty to tell the parents not administer punishment! As of now my son is no longer a student at this school. And you can expect to hear from my attorney!" John was screaming at the top of his lungs.

Maria didn't move towards the office until she was certain John had finished.. Maria had no wish to wake Harry up he really needed his sleep. At any other time she would be rather turned on by what her husband just did. However now she was so upset and angry that nothing really got through to her. Once her husband was finished she went to join him in the office. "Johnathan." Maria said gaining his attention and letting him know that there was a serious problem apart from the one he just solved. "I need you to call Emily and get her here right now." Her voice was so soft that almost no one could hear her. John knew however that this was bad news. When Maria was upset she yelled, when she was angry she snarled, and when she is ready to kill someone, actually kill someone mind you, she got quiet. John gulped and headed to the phone. No one was going to stop him after what he just did.

"Hello, Surrey police."

"Captain Stalks." John said.

"Right away sir."

"This is Captain Stalks. How may I help you?" Emily asked.

"Emily, it's John. We need you at St. Grogory Primary School in your official capacity. I don't have the full story yet but judging from what I have seen you will need to get here quick. And I mean five minutes ago this is an emergency." John said as quickly as he could.

"Be there in five." Emily said all business and hung up.

John hung up the phone. "She'll be here in five."

Maria then looked at the headmaster. "We need someplace quiet to wait."

The headmaster looked at Maria carrying Harry. "I'm sorry Mrs. Ashwood but that is not your child. I do not know what possessed you to take him but he is in our care. Would you kindly hand him over." The headmaster said trying to gain control of the situation.

Maria stared the headmaster straight in the eye and said "Do not come any closer, sir." Her voice was barely audible. The headmaster mistook her quiet voice for timidness and continued.

"I am sorry but that child needs to come with me." The headmaster said as he took another step toward her. That was as far as he got before a fist slammed against the side of his face sending him into the wall. The headmaster's unconscious body then collapsed.

"Thank you honey." Maria said sparing a smile for her husband. John just stood there with a scowl on his face glaring at the headmaster. Furious that he would dare go after his wife. The secretary was frozen. She had absolutely no idea what to do. First this man starts screaming at the top of his lungs then his wife comes in carrying that horrible Potter child. Then when the headmaster tries to take that nasty child away the man attacked him. She didn't even try to move hoping that the two would just leave after a bit. She almost cried out of joy when she heard the sound of a police siren pull into the school.

As Emily drove up the driveway to the school she was relieved that at least the school wasn't on fire. But from the sound of John's voice he would probably rather it were than whatever they were dealing with now. She parked and walked inside. The moment she crossed the threshold the woman behind the desk ran over to her.

"Oh thank God your here! These people are crazy they attacked the headmaster! I think they might hurt me. Please help me!" The secretary begged.

Emily just stood there dumbfounded. After a minute she got over her shock at the woman. "Maria, John what is going on?" She asked.

Maria heard her friend and looked up at her. Emily saw her face and knew something was deathly wrong. Emily walked over to her friend. "We need to talk somewhere privately. The nurses office would be appropriate I believe." She said. She then noticed Emily looking at the unconscious headmaster. "No, not him. The boy." Maria said correcting her friends assumption. Emily's eyes widened at that. After a short walk they entered the nurses office. The nurse wasn't there so they just went in and locked the door.

"So what is this about? John made it sound as if you were about to go on a killing spree." Emily asked.

"I still might." Maria said quietly without humor. Emily went ridged. She had not heard her friend like this in a very long time. Something was terribly wrong. "Let me show you." Maria said laying Harry carefully on the bed. John, Merlyn, and Emily watching intently. She gently pried his hands apart and then stood up. "This is why John called you." Maria explained before lifting Harry's shirt. All over Harry's stomach and chest were purple and blue bruises. Emily gasped. What had happened to this poor child? "This is Harry Potter. Before he passed out in my arms he told me everything. So just let him rest for now. I will tell you everything he told me." Maria then let Emily know everything that Harry had told her. With every word Emily was more and more disgusted. By the end she thought that she might throw up. After a few minutes of just staring into space Emily felt a tugging on her arm..When she looked down she saw Merlyn and despite everything gave him a small smile.

"Auntie Em, there is one more thing. The last time Harry told someone his aunt and uncle lied and said that he was a habitual liar and always getting into fights. After the man left they beat him really badly. Please don't let them hurt Harry anymore." Merlyn begged his eyes full of tears. Merlyn hated seeing his friend like this.

Emily put her hand on her nephew's shoulder, "Don't worry Lynn. Those people will never hurt Harry ever again." While she was reassuring Merlyn Maria pulled Harry's hair away from his face and saw the lightning bolt shaped scar on his forehead. At Maria's gasp Emily hurried over. When she saw the scar she thought she just might throw up. "It looks like someone took a knife to him!" Emily hissed. "I am going to put these people away. Maria can you take him home with you and get him taken care of. I don't trust anyone here to do it." Maria nodded.

"Wait." Maria said softly to her friend as Emily was leaving. "Can I go with you to see these people?" Maria asked . She wanted them to feel how it felt to get beat black and blue.

"No. Maria even if you were still on the force your too close to this." Emily took a deep breath and continued. "Maria just look at yourself. You are on a razors edge. You are even worse now then you were when you found Lynn. I can't take you with me. I am however giving you temporary custody of Harry until this matter is settled one way or another."

"Emily I promised this little boy that I would not let those people that call themselves his family hurt him again. I plan to keep that promise no matter what." Maria told her best friend.

"Go take Harry to your house and get him patched up. I will call you later and tell you about my investigation. I can do that at least." Maria just nodded and picked up Harry, who instinctually wrapped his arms around her neck. Maria held him tighter in response.

"Come on everyone. We are going home." John said as they all left the nurses office. While Merlyn, and Maria, who was still holding Harry, were getting into the car John had pulled Emily aside. John told her that during the first few days after finding Merlyn, while they had believed that Merlyn was in a situation similar to Harry's, he had come up with a plan to make sure that Merlyn never had to go back to those people. Now he wanted to use the plan to help Harry. After hearing the plan in detail Emily couldn't keep the grin from her face. These horrid people would get exactly what was coming to them.

Harry slept keeping his hold on Maria the entire way home. Everyone else was silent not wanting to wake Harry. They got out and headed inside. Maria carried Harry up the stairs and into the bathroom. "Harry. Harry." Maria whispered trying to wake him up gently. "Harry." She tried again this time touching his shoulder.

Harry gasped and scooted back going into the fetal position with his arms out as if expecting to be hit. "Please don't. I didn't do anything. I promise." Harry whimpered. Maria cringed at hearing this. Emily better give those people what they have coming to them or else she would get John to pull some of his ideas, from back when they found Merlyn, out of the closet.

"Harry, sweetie. It's alright no one is going to hurt you. Remember I promised." Maria said trying to sooth him and not scare him further. After a few minutes of not receiving any hits Harry slowly moved his hands away from his face and looked around. The moment he laid eyes on Maria he jumped up and threw his arms around her. 'Looks like Lynn isn't the only one to think I'm safe.' Maria mused.

Emily quickly made her way back to the station. Where she picked up her partner Rollins since abuse cases can often get violent. It's always good to have back up in cases like this. "Rollins are your ready?"

"Yes, I'm ready. If what you've told me about these people is true then I have to wonder why no one ever came forward before." Rollins said as he stepped out of the car. It was 4 o'clock so the entire family should be here. They would have been informed by the school that Harry Potter was taken and is now in police custody. So they should be expecting a visit today.

"Alright you remember everything you are supposed to do?" Emily asked her partner.

"Yep. Got everything I need." Rollins said.

"Good. Let's go then." Emily said as both her and her partner made their way up the steps to the front door of number four Privet Drive. 'Well here we go.' Emily thought as she knocked. After a few moments she was about to knock again when she heard the lock turn. When the door opened standing before them was a rather round individual. "Mr. Dursley, I presume."

"Yes. Can I help you?" Mr. Dursley asked in a gruff voice.

"Actually you can Mr. Dursley. We have a few questions about one Harry Potter. We were informed that you and your wife are Mr. Potter's guardians. May we come in please?" Emily asked. In her experience it always paid off to do things the polite way. Even if the people you were talking to didn't deserve it. And it is always nice to have a search warrant as an ace in the hole.

"Well it's about time you lot did something about the boy." Mr. Dursley said in his superior tone. "The boy has always been a trouble maker. I can't tell you how glad I am that you finally picked him up. He has been rather violent lately and has been scaring my wife. He deserves some punishment. " Emily tried to keep the smile off her face. This was going rather well so far. "Petunia can you get our guests some tea."

"Of course. What do you take?" Petunia asked.

"Black with a slice of lemon for me please." Rollins answered.

"I am fine, thank you." Emily put in. "Well if that is what you want then all you have to do is sign this and Mr. Potter will be punished as severely as the law will allow. We simply need your signature as well as your wife's." Emily said as she pulled a custody packet out of her pocket.

Vernon grabbed a pen and signed immediately. "So how long till we get the little shit back? The boy has work around hear to do." Vernon asked.

"Well you will be asked to come to the police station and have a hand in deciding what will happen to Mr. Potter. Now all we need is your wife's signature and this matter will be taken care of. Normally she didn't approve of such deception. But desperate times call for desperate measures. " Emily told him trying to get the final piece so she could move forward with John's plan. Step one get Harry away from them permanently. "Mrs. Dursley," Emily said to the woman who just walked in with Ronllins' tea. "all we need is your signature."

"My signature. For what?" Apparently she had not been paying attention to the conversation.

Damn she needed to find a way to get her to sign without reading the paper. She would not be as easy as her husband. "Mrs. Dursley as I was telling your husband that a Mr. Potter is now in police custody. We need your permission to give Mr. Potter what he deserves." Emily said.

"What did he do?" Petunia asked.

'Shit now what? Harry didn't do anything...But Lynn did. Perfect.' Emily thought. "Well there was an incident at St. Grogory's today involving a ladder and some damage to school property. And by signing you are making Harry responsible. Otherwise you will be responsible for damages." She only hoped that they believed her. After all, guardians are always responsible for damages. But Petunia still seemed hesitant. "Well if you don't want to sign that is fine." Emily said reaching for the packet. "You will be receiving a bill for the damages done to the school." Right before she could grab the packet Petunia snatched it away and signed. 'Yes! Step one is done. Now onto step two.' Emily thought. "Very good Mrs. Dursley. Now we can get on with our investigation."

"What investigation? Didn't this happen at school? And when will the boy be back? As I said he has work to do." Vernon Dursley asked a little confused.

"Oh it did, but we like to be thorough. What kind of work Mr. Dursley? Even he is a little young to have a paper route." asked Emily hoping that they would incriminate themselves.

"Nothing like that." Mr. Dursley answered. "Just chores around the house."

Damn, well they're not dumb enough to incriminate themselves after all. Oh well, that is why there was a plan. John certainly was a dastardly fellow when he put his mind to it. "Very good. Now if it is possible I would like to see his room." Emily hoped that they would lead her to the cupboard. "We are looking for evidence of premeditation." She added when the Dursleys showed some reluctance. But they eventually gave in.

"Right this way." Petunia directed. They were heading for the stairs. 'Good, now she will get the evidence she needs to arrest these horrid people. Wait why are they leading us up the stairs. Didn't Maria say they make him live in the cupboard under it?' Emily thought. "Here we are." Petunia said as she opened a door. Inside were a lot of toys. Well broken toys as it looked. The toys were strewn everywhere. To be honest the room looked like a wreck. No wonder the last person to come left convinced that Harry was a bad seed. "This is his room. As you can see we try to give him anything he could want. But he is troubled, he breaks almost everything. It truly is sad." Petunia said. And if Emily didn't know the truth she would have bought it hook line and sinker. These people were good. "He sneaks out every night and causes trouble, gets into fights and the like." Damn they were covering for the bruising already. They have definitely done this before. And by the look of comfort on their faces multiple times.

Emily gave her partner a covert nod. Looks like they would need to be sneaky after all. At least Harry was now safe. "Excuse me. But may I use the restroom?" Rollins asked already knowing that it was on the ground floor.

"Of course." Petunia said. "It is just downstairs.

As Rollins went downstairs Emily continued to talk to both of the Dursleys. She needed to keep both of them up here while her partner did his job downstairs. After a few minutes Rollins came back up the stairs and gave Emily a nod telling her that she wasn't going to like what she found downstairs. "Rollins keep the Dursleys up here while I take a look."

Vernon was catching on to what happened. While Captain Stalks was keeping them busy her partner must have found the cupboard. But why would anyone look there unless...the boy! He had to find a way out of this. "Now hold on just a moment! This is my house!" Vernon yelled his face turning red. That blasted boy! He would kill that damn child! "I want you both out of this house immediately! You can't just go snooping around! It's against the law! I know my rights! None of this is admissible in court without a warrant! Now get out!" By this time his face was a rather deep shade of purple. However while his face was gaining color Petunia's was loosing it rather rapidly.

"Very true Mr. Dursley, very true. Now that you bring it up however." Emily said in a chipper voice as she reached into her pocket and pulled out a warrant to search the premises. God she loved it when people like this got what is coming to them. "Now Rollins do we have enough for an arrest?"

"An arrest! You pitiful little bitch! I'll have my attorney skin you alive!" Vernon screamed as he ran at Emily. Emily quickly grabbed one of Vernon's outstretched arms and twisted behind him pinning him against a wall.

Sometimes they just make this too easy. "Vernon Dursley, you are hereby under arrest. The charges are child abuse, negligence, resisting arrest, and attacking a police officer." Emily spoke calmly as she handcuffed him. She didn't want to give this piece of filth any room to get out of the charges. "Rollins if you please." Emily said nodding at Petunia. "Petunia Dursley, you are hereby under arrest. The charges are child abuse, and negligence." Emily continued on listing their rights. After a short walk out to their police car Emily once again turned to the Dursleys who were now fidgeting in the back seat. "Now Rollins is going to be staying with your son until child services arrives. You will be allowed to talk to him later today when he is brought to the station. Now sit back relax and enjoy the ride." Emily said with a smile. "Rollins while you are looking after the boy make sure to keep him away from the evidence." Rollins gave her a nod. Rollins like his partner loved days like this.

Back at the Ashwood household Harry was wincing. The bandages around his chest hurt. Mrs. Ashwood told him that he had a couple of cracked ribs and that this would help them heal. Harry believed her but that didn't keep it from hurting. Although to be fair it hurt before she put the bandages on too. She had actually gave him a bath. A bath! He never got to bathe. He would get one shower a week at best and that was only when the Dursleys were sick of the smell. He would water himself down with the hose when he was in the yard and the Dursleys weren't looking. Now he was sitting at the kitchen table sipping on orange juice. He found he really liked it. The only time he would get something like this was when he was out with the Dursleys and Dudley didn't like it. And they couldn't just throw it away. So here he was sipping orange juice smelling Mr. Ashwood's cooking. It smelled delicious. He looked up when Mrs. Ashwood took the seat next to him.

"So Harry how are you feeling? Any better?" Maria asked sipping a cup of tea.

"Yes, thank you." Harry answered timidly. He wasn't sure what was going on. If he enjoyed himself too much then he would miss this even more when he was sent back to the Dursley's. All of a sudden the phone started ringing.

"I'll be right back Harry." Maria said as she went to the phone. "Hello. This is Maria."

"Maria, it's Emily. I'm just calling to give you an update. The Dursleys are in custody. The big bastard actually tried to attack me can you believe it!" Emily started laughing. "They have been booked and are awaiting a hearing. Thank John for me by the way. His plan went off without a hitch. But now I have a problem. You see I now have custody of one Harry Potter. I am afraid that his cousin is being dealt with by child services. After what Lynn told me I thought it best to separate them. But as you know I am not exactly suited for parenthood. I am more of the awesome aunt type. So I was wondering if you would take the kid off my hands?"

Maria was shocked. Happy but shocked at the request. She had to admit that she liked Harry. He was polite, sweet, and not to mention her little Lynn's best friend. But it was no longer just her and Jonathan. Now they had Lynn and they also needed to take Harry's feelings on this into consideration. "Em, I would love to but I need to talk to John, Lynn, and Harry about it first. Can I call you back tomorrow?"

"Sure. Let me know tomorrow. Sorry I won't be able to come over tonight. Processing the Dursley's house and the paperwork that they are giving me is going to keep me at the station for a while. You know what never mind I'll just stop by for breakfast and you can tell me then. Ciao."

Maria slowly put down the receiver. She didn't know what to say or even how to bring it up. She needed to talk to her husband. She went into the kitchen with her husband and walked up behind him wrapping her arms around his waist and laying her head against his back. "John."

"Yes, love?"

"That was Emily. She wanted to thank you for the plan. Apparently it went off without a hitch. But now she has a problem. She wants us to take custody of Harry." She said bringing it up lightly. Maria really wanted him to say yes. In the back of her mind she was thanking God that she had already dealt with all this anger and emotional storm before a little over a year and a half ago when they found Lynn. If she hadn't she would be lost in the sea of emotions. Having gone through this all before she found it easier to keep her head. She new that later tonight the water works would start but now she could still think. And after watching Harry and Merlyn together she could think that there were no better kids in the world. She was so proud of her son. After he brought her back to the roof and the boys had their little reconciliation Merlyn had never left Harry's side. He had even helped with the bandaging. He didn't even leave during the bath, instead Merlyn just turned his back to give his friend some privacy. Merlyn was definitely protective of Harry that much was certain. Maria had a feeling that there were quite a few stories of what had happened so far this year at school that Lynn hadn't told them. She would just have to pry it out of the boys later. But now it was time to work on her husband. "And you know he is Lynn's best friend. You should have seen how protective he gets over Harry. It is almost as if Harry were his little brother." Emily continued. She didn't feel her husband tense up which was a good sign. "And so I was thinking that maybe we could take Harry in and maybe adopt him." Emily waited and waited. John said nothing just continued his cooking. Maria didn't like it. Oh maybe she should have given him a drink first.

"You do like your strays don't you love?" John replied.

"Well the last one turned out pretty well." Maria answered giving him a squeeze hoping that he was hinting at what she wanted.

"I think we should talk to the boys first. If they like the idea then have them sign the papers." John replied biting his lip. He did love doing this to his wife.

"You're right. I already planned to talk to them I just wanted your okay first." Maria told him.

"Oh, is that all." John said with a chuckle, he just couldn't hold it in. "Then why didn't you just talk to the kids when you saw the papers?

"What papers?" Maria asked looking around. She then saw a stack of papers on the island. She picked up the top page to see what it was and read 'Application for Adoption'. Her eyes went wide as she continued reading. It was all filled out for one Harry Potter to be adopted by Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood. Maria just felt her jaw drop. "What? How? When?" She started babbling.

"Well the what is rather self explanatory. As for the how, they are an extra set I kept from Merlyn's adoption just in case something didn't get filed right and has been in the desk this entire time. And I pulled it out and filled it in while you were up stairs. I saw the way both you and Merlyn were with the lad. Now I know I haven't really talked to him but if what I saw was any indication he would be a great addition to this family." John explained with a shit eating grin. Maria pounced on him. And gave him the kiss of a lifetime.

"God I love you." She breathed after she broke the kiss.

"Wow!" John exclaimed with a giant smile plastered on his face. "If this is the reaction I get every time we adopt I think we should adopt a few hundred kids." He joked.

"Oh shut up!" Maria said slapping his chest while laughing. "You only get that reaction when we adopt special kids. Like Lynn and Harry."

"We still need to talk to Harry and Merlyn though, don't forget." John reminded her.

"Let's do that now while the food is resting then we can eat." Maria said while leading John to the living room where the kids were still sitting at the table.

Merlyn and Harry were busy talking. "What do you think is going to happen to me? Do you think they will send me back to the Dursley's?" Harry asked a little afraid of the answer.

"No. My Mom, Dad, and Auntie Em are the best. There is no way you will go back there. Come on we can go play until dinner is ready." Merlyn suggested. But Harry wasn't up for playing. He just sat there still deathly afraid of the beating he was going to get when he was forced to go back to the Dursley's.

"Harry. Lynn. We need to talk to the both of you." Maria said while she and her husband took the seats opposite the kids.

'Oh no.' Harry thought. 'This is where they tell me I have to go back.' "Please don't make me go back! I can cook and clean and do the yard work! Please I don't want to go back!" Harry begged as he started to sob. He would go anywhere and do anything to get away from the Dursleys.

Maria sprung up and rushed to Harry's side pulling him into a hug. "Hush now it's alright you don't have to go back." She said while rubbing Harry's back.

Harry sniffed. "I don't?" Maria shook her head. "You promise?" Harry said hope finding its way into his eyes for the first time in years.

"I promise. Actually that is what we wanted to talk to you about. Both of you actually. A lot has happened today..." Maria told them what happened at the Dursley's with Emily. Well they told them most of it some they didn't need to hear. Like what Harry's uncle was planning to do to him. Harry's uncle was in prison after all and Harry was safe. As she recounted what happened Merlyn's smile grew and grew while Harry looked more shocked by the second. "And so now we have to figure out what to do with you. Now John and I would like for you to stay here with us and Lynn. But we wanted to see how you felt about it before we actually did anything."

Harry was on the verge of crying. They wanted him to stay. They really wanted him to stay. He loved Lynn like a brother already and his parents had been so nice to him already. And now they were offering to take him in. "Yes!" Harry shouted. "I mean yes please. I would like to stay." Harry said again calmly this time.

"Good." Emily said. "Then it is all settled."

"Wait!" Merlyn exclaimed. Maria was shocked she didn't think that her son would have a problem but maybe she was wrong. Merlyn fidgeted a little before asking "Does this mean that Harry is my brother now?"

Maria bit her lip. "Why yes it does. You and Harry are now brothers." She was about to ask if that was alright with the both of them when she was interrupted by both of the young men jumping up and hugging each other while screaming "I have a brother!"

Dinner was a rather boisterous affair that night. Harry was eating as though he would never get another meal. Something Maria and John suspected was a lot closer to the truth in the past then they would like to think. There was a lot of laughing and playing between the two brothers. Normally this wouldn't be allowed but it was a special occasion. After dessert everyone was stuffed and ready for bed. But there was one thing left to do.

"Harry." John said. "There is one more thing we need you to do. You need to sign this piece of paper. Once you do you will officially be a part of this family." Harry snatched the pen from John and wrote his name as quickly as he could as if he was afraid that the paper would disappear if he didn't write fast enough. "There we go you are now officially a member of this family." John smiled with a hand on his new son's shoulder. "I think it's time for bed. You will be sleeping with Merlyn tonight alright?" Harry nodded as he went up stairs and got ready for bed. Just as they finished John and Maria came in to tuck in their children. "Good night kids." John said and right before he closed the door he turned to Harry and said "Welcome home son." and closed the door.

Harry couldn't believe the turn his life had taken today. Yesterday he was being beaten, starved and locked in a cupboard. Today he had a new family who cared for him, a full stomach, and a warm bed in an actual room. Heck he even got to share his bed with his new brother. This was by far the best day of his life. The last thought he had before he fell asleep was 'I'm home.'

 **A/N: I hoped you enjoyed the chapter. There were quite a few important moments this chapter. Please leave a review and tell me what you think. I know we are still in the set up phase but alas it is needed. The next chapter is going to be our characters introduction into the wizarding world. It should be a blast to write and read. Once again please leave a review to let me know what you think. Until next time.**


	8. Chapter 8: Welcome to Diagon Alley!

**A/N: Hello everyone. My chapters seem to be getting longer and longer. I hope you like it. This was the chapter that could have gone a couple different ways. But I ended up with this one. It in fact went through two rewrites because the other ways just didn't feel right. Any way enough out of me. Please review and let me know what you think. Enjoy.**

The next morning Harry woke up thinking that he had just had the most amazing dream. He dreamed that he was rescued from the Dursley's by his best friend's family. Not only that but he was adopted by them as well. But that was just a dream and an amazing one at that. He heard the familiar thump of someone coming down the stairs. 'Probably Dudley,' Harry thought. 'I had better hurry up and start breakfast before Uncle Vernon gets mad.' Harry finally opened his eyes and found that he was not in his cupboard. He was in a room, lying down on a large bed with his best friend. No not best friend anymore, now Lynn was his brother. This could only mean that his dream wasn't a dream. It was real. This is the first time he could remember sleeping in the bed. It was incredibly comfortable. So Harry just laid back down and enjoyed the bed for a while. After another ten minutes he could smell Mr. Ashwood's cooking downstairs. He knew it was Mr. Ashwood's because the only people who cooked in this house were Lynn and his father. Harry remembered Lynn telling him about the one and only time his mom had tried to cook. His dad had been sick in bed with the flu and his mom tried to take care of everything. Harry ended up in the hospital getting his stomach pumped. Mrs. Ashwood has not been allowed to cook since then. The moment he was able to smell the cooking so too apparently did his sleeping brother. Merlyn shot right out of bed and out the door. Harry just laughed at him until his brother yelled that he better hurry or there would be none left. Harry, thinking of how the Dursley's fed him, immediately jumped out of bed and followed his brother. When he reached the kitchen Harry realized that Lynn was joking. There was no way that there would be none left. There were at least twenty large pancakes sitting on a plate waiting to be eaten and Mr. Ashwood was still cooking more.

"Mmm, " Merlyn sounded. "I love pancake day. Dad's pancakes are the best."

"Lynn the way you talk everything your dad makes is the best." Harry told him.

"You're wrong Harry." Merlyn said with a serious face. "It's not my dad, it's our dad. And yes everything he makes is the best. You just don't understand yet, but you will." Merlyn finished smiling.

John couldn't help smiling at his boys banter, and especially when Merlyn said that he wasn't his father, he was their father. "So Harry did you sleep well?" Harry tried to tell John how he slept but it came out as mush due to the fact that he had just stuffed a pancake in his mouth. "Hold on there son. Chew, swallow, then talk."

Harry chewed a little more and then swallowed his mouthful with the help of some milk. "I slept very well sir, thank you."

John was taken aback did Harry just call him sir? No one called him sir. He better straighten this boy out right now before he say's that word again. "Harry please don't call me sir."

Harry looked up at John. "Then what should I call you?"

John thought about it for a minute. "Well I would like it if in time you could call me Dad. However I understand if you are not up for that so until then you may call me John. Oh and the same goes for Maria as well, until you feel comfortable calling her Mom you should just call her Maria. Alright?"

Harry nodded. He wouldn't mind calling them Mom and Dad except he wasn't sure what those words meant. So he decided to just wait until it felt right. A few minutes later Harry saw Maria come downstairs with her hair going off in every direction. Honestly it looked really funny. Merlyn tried and failed to hold back a laugh and ended up paying for it. Maria walked over and grabbed one of the pancakes from Lynn's plate and took a big bite before putting it back. "Mom! Stop stealing my food!"

"But I'm hungry." Maria whined playfully.

"There is like ten pancakes right there you don't need mine!" Merlyn berated his mother.

"But they don't taste as good as yours." Maria said with a pout. "Besides you are cute when your angry." Maria said smiling as she pinched his cheek lightly.

"Mom!" At that everyone in the kitchen save Merlyn started to laugh and even he joined in soon after.

After breakfast everyone started to get ready for the day. Harry brushed his teeth with a spare toothbrush and then tried to find his clothes but they were no where to be found. Then Maria walked in the room. "Lynn give Harry some clothes. Harry please make do with Lynn's clothes until we go and get you your own. We will be really busy today so we can go clothes shopping tomorrow, alright?" She asked Harry. Harry just nodded. He was going to get his own clothes! He decided he must still be dreaming and thought about pinching himself but then decided against it. If it really was a dream then he didn't want to wake up from it. Harry quickly got dressed, it was a lot easier with Lynn's clothes than Dudley's. Lynn was still big for their age. He wasn't fat though he was well built he was just a bit taller than everyone else. But these still fit really well when compared to Dudley's old clothes. Harry then headed downstairs looking for his book bag.

John saw Harry looking around and was wondering what was up. "Hey there, son. What are you looking for?"

Harry looked up at John, "I'm looking for my book bag. I can't seem to find it."

"Oh, I think we left it back at St. Grogory's. Was there something important that you need in it?" John asked getting a little tense, he hoped they hadn't left something important at that horrible school.

"No, just by books I don't want to loose them or the teacher will get mad at me." Harry said and John visibly relaxed.

"Ah, I see. Well don't worry about it." John told him.

"But what about when I get to school?" Harry asked.

"Didn't Maria tell you? We withdrew you from that rotten place. You aren't going back there. You and your brother are going to be home schooled." John told his new son. Then at the look of confusion on Harry's face he elaborated. "That means that both Maria and I will be your teachers. Don't worry, Merlyn was home schooled before this year started." John told him to belay his fears. "Why don't you go upstairs and play with your brother your new mom and I have a couple of busy days ahead of us so you and Lynn get a couple of days off. So go have fun and enjoy it." John said with a chuckle.

While Harry and Merlyn celebrated not having to go back to that school John and Maria were hard at work getting the kids room set up. They got rid of the one large bed for a set of bunk beds. They bought two desks, a bookshelf, and a chest for their toys as well. When it got later John had Merlyn start dinner while they were finishing up the room. Dinner was rather quiet that night due to everyone being so tired. John and Maria from working hard and Merlyn and Harry from playing. That night everyone fell asleep rather quickly. The next day John and Maria took their kids into London for some clothes shopping. Harry needed some and Merlyn was outgrowing the clothes they got him last year. The trip turned into huge family outing. Once they finished with the shopping they went all over London.

When they finally pulled into the driveway the two boys were still arguing. The argument wasn't about who gets the top bunk or anything important like that. No, the argument was over which flavor of ice cream was the best. It was funny however they showed no signs of stopping. "Alright boys that is enough." John said with a smile. The boys looked like they were about to continue so John decided it was time for desperate measures, bribery. "Okay, how about this if you guys drop the argument then I will make a very special dessert tonight. How does that sound?" In answer both of the boys kept their mouths shut and nodded vigorously. "Alright. Why don't you go put your new clothes up while I start dinner." The boys didn't even bother answering this time. They just grabbed their bags full of clothing and ran for the stairs.

"Honey, I am going to take a bath and relax." Maria told her husband with a chaste kiss.

"Alright, I'll get dinner started." John said as he headed into the kitchen to start dinner and of course the special desert. John knew what he wanted to make, now he just had to make the flavors work.

After dinner the family was all waiting in the living room as the special desert wasn't done yet. Both Merlyn and Harry were having a grand old time guessing what it could be since John wouldn't tell them. Once a loud beeping came from the kitchen everyone got quiet as John got up and went to get the special dessert. Harry was ecstatic when he saw what John was carrying, Merlyn on the other hand was rather disappointed. Harry gave his brother a look and in a satisfied tone said, "See? I told you strawberry was the best. "

"What are you talking about this isn't strawberry ice cream." John told his sons. Merlyn perked up a little while Harry looked a little crestfallen. "Wow. I figured my cooking had earned a little more faith then this." John said to his wife who was currently trying not to giggle. "This is my special super awesome mint and strawberry ice cream!" John said with all the dramatic ability he could pull forth. It seemed to have the desired effect in that his entire family were laughing at him. "Hurry up and eat it before it melts." He told his kids after they had all calmed down a bit.

Both Harry and Merlyn looked at each other and nodded as they each took a bite. Their eyes lit up instantly. They couldn't believe how amazing this tasted. The moment they swallowed they turned to each other and at the same time said, "This is the best!" before shoveling the remainder into their mouths.

"Where is my super awesome dessert?" Maria asked her husband as he joined her on the couch.

"It's in the freezer. I thought we could have it in bed after we put these little monsters to bed." John said with a smile. Even though it had only been a few day's he already loved Harry just as much as he loved Merlyn. Yes he definitely loved his little monsters and by the look his wife had on her face she felt the exact same way.

Albus Dumbledore was on his way back to Hogwarts after a very long few days at the ministry. Minister Fudge could not seem to do anything by himself. This is the first time he would be able to sleep in his own bed in over four days. The first thing he was going to do when he got back to Hogwarts is have a lemon drop and then take a long soak. Bones as old as his need a good soaking every few days or they rebelled. Once he reached his office door he took a deep breath in preparation for the luxurious evening ahead of him. The moment Albus opened his door he was greeted by a shrill whistle. Dumbledore sighed wondering which particular item of his was going off. 'To bad it isn't the kettle.' Dumbledore thought chuckling. The chuckling ceased when he noticed which of his inventions was going off. It was the ward watcher, as he liked to call it, the one that was tuned to the wards surrounding number four Privet Drive. Dumbledore's face turn white as a ghost. 'No. No. No, how did this happen!?' Dumbledore thought as he rushed out of his office. He had to get to Harry and make sure he was safe. 'Please let Harry still be safe!' Albus repeated over and over again in his head. The precise moment Dumbledore crossed the threshold leaving the Hogwart's grounds he quickly turned and disappeared.

'Merlin's beard! Thank the heaven's it's dark.' Albus thought as he appeared in the middle of the street right in front of number four Privet Drive. Albus quietly cast a few spells to keep the muggles away. He then made his way carefully to the front door wary of any traps that may have been left by any of Voldemort's followers. Dumbledore could not believe the wards failed. They should of only come down under one of two circumstances. One is when young Harry comes of age at seventeen, the other being that he no longer called this place his home. But neither of those should have happened after all the Dursley's still lived here. Didn't they? Albus tried the door but found it to be locked a quick Alohomora took care of that and Dumbledore stepped inside. The house looked alright. There didn't seem to be a struggle there were a few cups on the coffee table in front of the couch however. Dumbledore dipped his finger into one of them to find it rather cold. So it has been a while since anyone has been here. And it seems as if they left in a hurry. So were they running from something or someone? Dumbledore shook his head this was not the time for solving puzzles. First things first, he had to find Harry at all costs. After a few spells told him that no one had indeed been here in over two day's Albus realized that he would need a new starting point. Harry's school! Even if Harry wasn't there at least there were people who might be able to answer a few questions. It looked like the search was on hold until the morning. With one last look Dumbledore lifted the muggle repelling charms and once again disappeared.

The next morning Dumbledore arrived at the school dressed in a suit and tie. As he entered the school he saw the large secretary sitting behind the desk. "Hello, I am here to for my appointment. The name is Albus Dumbledore."

"Oh yes one moment." The secretary told him as she picked up her phone. "Headmaster, a Mr. Dumbledore is here to see you...Right away sir." She put down the phone and looked back up at Dumbledore "Please head on in."

Dumbledore headed down the hall to the headmasters door and knocked. When he heard a "Come in." Dumbledore opened the door and walked inside the headmaster's office. "Ah headmaster, thank you for seeing me on such short notice." Dumbledore then noticed a rather large bruise on the side of the headmaster's face. "Pardon me for asking but are you alright? I see you have received a rather hard hit."

The headmaster looked up. "Oh, this?" He asked gesturing at the bruise. "It's nothing. I got it from a rather disturbed parent. Nothing to worry about. The child, thank the light, is no longer a student here. But enough of that what can I do for you Mr...?"

"Professor actually, Professor Dumbledore." Albus replied. "And as for what you can do for me, I happen to be looking for a young boy by the name of Harry Potter. I believe this is the school he attends. Correct?"

"Actually no." replied the headmaster. Dumbledore half expected this. He really should have kept closer tabs on the boy. "He was withdrawn from the school two day's ago by his guardians."

"Ah yes, the Dursleys if I'm not mistaken." Dumbledore was about to continue on when the headmaster interrupted.

"Oh no. Not anymore. Haven't you been watching the news. The were taken away and are now in prison charged with child abuse. The details haven't been released yet but I personally think the charges are fraudulent. I personally have met the Dursleys and a nicer couple you could not hope to meet." This news shocked Dumbledore. No wonder the house was empty. Well at least some good news came from this at least Harry should still be alive. Now all Dumbledore had to do is find him.

"I don't suppose that you would know who his new guardians are would you?" Dumbledore asked.

"I do and technically we are not allowed to give out that information, but as one of them was kind enough to mar my face the least I could do is return the favor. Here are their names and their address. Just remember I didn't give it to you." The headmaster said. Dumbledore nodded his thanks and left. Well now he knew where young Harry should be. He would need to find a way to get the Dursleys out of prison and back home as soon as possible. But first he needed to retrieve Harry from these...Dumbledore looked down at the piece of paper...Ashwoods. Hopefully he would find Harry alive and well at the Ashwood residence.

Harry woke the next morning with a smile on his face. Here he was in his own bed. He still couldn't get over the fact that he actually had his own bed. Waiting for John to fix breakfast. It had taken some effort to not just get up early and make breakfast like he always did but the thought of John's cooking helped. Harry never liked cooking and thought it was odd how much John seemed to like it. When Harry asked him, he said, "It's one of the ways that I like to relax. And then at the end I get something tasty to eat so it kills two birds with one stone." Harry wished he had an activity like that. 'Well why not cooking. I might like doing it if it is with John.' Harry thought. Soon the sweet smells of bacon, and hot maple syrup wafted through the house and Harry knew it was time to get up. So he got up and climbed down from the top bunk. Both his brother and he wanted it so they flipped a coin and Harry won. By the time he got down his brother was out the door. 'Maybe I should have chosen the bottom.' Harry thought to himself as he hurried after Lynn. When he got downstairs and saw what was for breakfast his mouth began to water. Bacon, pancakes, toast with jam, fruit, and orange juice was quickly becoming his favorite breakfast. Breakfast always seemed to start off quiet, what with himself and Lynn stuffing their faces while Maria woke up with a cup of tea and then John just watched everyone with a smile on his face. But the table never stayed quiet for long as someone asked a question and as soon as the silence was broken it stayed that way.

Just as they were heading upstairs after breakfast the two boys heard Maria call out. "Boys don't forget we are starting your home schooling today. You have an hour to get ready."

"Yes Mom/Maria." Lynn and Harry each said. Then they headed upstairs to get ready. It only took them about half an hour to get ready so they spent the rest of the time goofing off in their room playing tag. When they heard Maria call them down they went down. It was time for school.

The first subject that Maria covered was Math. They had two hours of math before they moved on to English. When they were forty-five minutes in the doorbell rang. "Keep working kids. I'll see who it is and be right back." Maria told her children and went to the door. When she opened the door she was met with the sight of a rather tall old man with white hair and a white beard that went down to his knees. The man was wearing a suit and tie and half moon spectacles. "Can I help you?"

The man gave her a smile and there seemed to be a twinkle in his eye. "Mrs. Ashwood, I am Albus Percival Wulfric Brian Dumbledore. The Headmaster of boarding school up in Scotland. That is not why I am here however. I am here in regards to one Harry James Potter.." Dumbledore told Maria. Dumbledore noticed that Mrs. Ashwood tensed at the mention of Harry. This could work in his favor if she already had an unfavorable opinion of the young Potter. "Yes. I understand that you are the boy's current guardian appointed by the state after the affair with the Dursley's." Maria nodded not liking where this was going. "I have come to take young Harry off your hands." Harry chose just that moment to run up to Maria.

"Maria, I am having a problem with this one. Can you help me?" Harry asked with a smile.

"Of course honey just go wait for me with Lynn." Maria told him.

Dumbledore however couldn't let the opportunity pass him up. "Ah Mr. Potter, how are you fairing?"

"I'm fine." Harry said timidly. "Who are you?"

"I am Albus Dumbledore. I have come to take you back to the Dursleys." Dumbledore told the little boy.

Harry knew this was coming. He knew someone would come to take him back. He didn't want to go. So he turned to one of the only three people to ever make him feel safe. "Mom! Please don't let him take me!" Harry started bawling while he hung onto his mothers leg.

Maria was shocked. How could anyone put any child in the hands of those horrible people. "What are you talking about? Absolutely not!" Maria shouted at Dumbledore.

"I am afraid I must it is for the best." Dumbledore replied. All the yelling had.

"Don't you know what those people did to him!?" Maria asked mortified by what this man was saying.

"Yes I do my dear lady. However Harry is alive so all is well." Albus said about to go on when he realized his mistake. He had assumed earlier that this woman did not particularly like the young Potter. Now it was obvious that Mr. Potter liked Mrs. Ashwood. Now however he realized that Mrs. Ashwood seemed to care a great deal about the young boy. This was not good. This required a different approach. Just as he was about to try to sooth the two a third figure appeared. Another child in fact.

"Lynn!/John!" Harry and Maria screamed at the same time. The first for his brother and the latter for her husband. Merlyn was the closest and first to make it to them.

Merlyn ran to his mother and brother. "Whats wrong Harry?"

"This man is trying to take me away!" Harry told him while gripping his mom's leg tighter.

"Are you trying to take Harry away?" Merlyn asked the old man.

"Yes. I'm afraid I must take," Albus said but at that moment was interrupted but a shouting Merlyn.

"Stay away from my brother!" Merlyn shouted and before anyone knew what was going on the Hogwarts Headmaster was thrown violently from the porch and was rolling across the yard away from the house.

The moment Dumbledore got his bearings he tried to stand unfortunately a sharp pain in his leg told him that would be a very bad idea. So he turned and disappeared once again. He then reappeared just outside the Hogwarts gates. Trying not to move his bad leg Dumbledore created a patronus and sent it to Madame Pomphrey. A few minutes later she came running down the path and found an injured Dumbledore.

"Albus what happened to you!?" Madame Pomphrey asked.

"Oh went for a little tumble is all. I think its broken, Poppy." Dumbledore told her.

"Well you are right about that." She said examining the leg. "Here." Poppy said whiled she magicked up a stretcher. She then levitated Dumbledore on top of it and then the stretcher into the air. "I had hoped I wouldn't have any more patients this year. Silly me." Poppy started talking to herself. Dumbledore just laid back thinking. Today most definitely did not go to plan. It was obvious that he could not go back if he was to have any hope to get Harry to return to the Dursley's. And he was a little strapped for time. He would need to get Harry back to number four by ten o'clock tonight or there would be no hope of reactivating the blood wards. He did not like breaking the law but as it was apparent Harry had used accidental magic to throw him across the yard. There was a loophole that allowed those who witness magic to either be told about the wizarding world or obliviated. The ministry always followed the policy of obliviating but the law did give Dumbledore the opportunity that he needed. 'That should do it.' Dumbledore thought. That should show the Ashwoods that young Harry would be far too much for them to handle. Then they would give up guardianship. Yes, this would work. He knew that Harry seemed to like it with these people but it had only been a few days and strong emotional ties couldn't have been formed so quickly. Harry will be sad for a little while but then forget all about the Ashwoods. He would get Minerva to go and explain everything. She had to know to stress the troubles of raising a wizard so that the Ashwoods would give Harry up. Yes this would work. It had to.

The moment that Dumbledore disappeared Maria quickly bent down and pulled Harry into a hug. "Hush now. Everything is going to be alright. No one is going to take you away." Maria kept telling him trying to calm her scared child. John had arrived and was attempting to calm down Merlyn who at this point was very angry that anyone would upset his little brother. It took a good ten minutes before the children finally calmed down enough so they could move from their spots. They moved to the couch and sat their with John and Maria comforting their distraught children. Harry had stopped crying but Maria could tell he was still very upset. "Harry, honey, listen to me. I will not let the bad man take you away." Maria told him. "You got that? No one is taking my baby away." This seemed to do the trick as Harry calmed down almost immediately leaning into his mother. Maria put an arm around her son and stroked his hair.

John watched his family with pride. However he was not a happy man. He needed to find out why his family was in this state to begin with. Then he would kill the person responsible. No one did this to his family. "Son," John said to Merlyn breaking him out of his anger driven stupor. "Come with me. Let's leave Harry to your mom. I need to talk to you in the kitchen." Merlyn followed his father into the kitchen. Merlyn sat down at the island when his father handed him a bar of chocolate and a knife. Merlyn knew what his father wanted and started to chop up the bar of dark chocolate. Meanwhile John grabbed a pot and some milk from the fridge. The best thing for a distraught family is hot chocolate. After John got the pot settled on the stove he turned to his son who was still chopping at t he large slab of chocolate. "That should do son." He said as he took the slab back and put it away, leaving Merlyn to pile up the cut pieces. John looked around but there was nothing left to do but wait for the water to boil. "Son, " John said gaining Merlyn's attention. "I want you to know that I am very proud of you. You saw that your brother was in trouble and you ran to help him. Well done son." John told him with pride and a few tears. "Now then did you mean to throw that man?" Merlyn shook his head. He knew he was learning control so that things like that didn't happen. "I see." John said thoughtfully. "Well this means that your abilities are getting stronger. Which while it is a good thing also means you must be even more careful not to use your gift accidentally. Now this time it worked out well enough for us but it might not next time. Understand?"

"Yes, dad." During their talk the water had come to a boil.

"Well look at this. Why don't you grab four mugs for me, son." John said as he quickly made the hot chocolate.

John soon returned carrying two mugs of chocolate while Merlyn carried the other two. John handed one to his wife and Merlyn handed one to his brother. "How is he?" John whispered to Maria.

"He is alright now. The chocolate seems to be helping almost as much as his big brother." Maria said with an adoring look in her eyes. "John that man wanted to take Harry away." Johns eyes narrowed. Someone wanted to take his son away! Absolutely not!. "But that is not all. The man wanted to place him back with the Dursley's." John was shocked. Why would anyone put a child with those people. "John I think that he will be back and I want to make sure he doesn't get what he wants. So I am going to grab 'it' out of the attic. Alright?" Maria asked John nervously. She would get 'it' regardless but she really wanted her husbands support.

John really never felt comfortable around 'it'. After all he reasoned 'it' was illegal. Sure his wife had a special permit but 'it' still made him a tad uneasy. But to protect his family he would deal with it. "Alright. Go get it." John said giving his wife a reassuring smile. Maria visibly relaxed and set her chocolate on the coffee table as she got up to head for the attic."Alright guys." John said addressing his kids. "Once you finish your chocolate you can head upstairs. I think school is canceled for today.

The next few hours passed relatively calmly. The Ashwood household had finally returned to normal. But alas it did not seem like the peace was meant to last as the doorbell rang yet again. Maria went to answer the door while John went to tell the kids to stay upstairs. They did not need anymore excitement today. Maria went to the door and slowly opened. it. She was a little surprised by what who she saw. It was an older woman with her hair in a bun and was wearing floor length robes. Maria just quirked her eyebrow at the woman. "Can I help you?" She asked.

"Yes, please let me introduce myself. I am Minerva McGonagall Professor and Deputy Headmistress at Hogwarts school of Witchcraft and Wizardry." Minerva was about to go on when she was rather rudely interrupted by Maria.

"Go away! Leave us alone! And while your gone you can tell that old coot you have for a headmaster that if he ever comes near me or my family again I will kill him and damn the consequences!" Maria shouted at Minerva. "And let me make something very clear right here and now. You will not be taking my children away from me. Do you understand." Maria growled out in a menacing tone.

Minerva was shocked to say the least as well as a little outraged. How dare someone, anyone for that matter threaten to kill Albus Dumbledore. He was after all one of the greatest wizards of the age. There must be some mistake. That's it. Besides this was just supposed to be an informative visit and nothing else. Besides why would Professor Dumbledore want to take a child away from their parent. That didn't sound like him at all. She needed to mend a few bridges apparently and correct the horrible misunderstanding that had occurred. "Mrs. Ashwood, I am afraid that you are mistaken. May I come in and speak with you and your husband. There are some things that you must understand after all your son is very special. All I need to do is explain a few things and then answer whatever questions you may have." Minerva said politely. "So may I come in I promise I will not take your child I simply want to talk with you and your husband."

Maria looked at her questioningly and decided to let her in but to err on the side of caution. "Very well but before you come in I would like your wand." Maria told her. The old man pulled out a stick before he disappeared and this Minerva said she was from a school of witchcraft and wizardry. Maria put two and two together. Maria certainly wasn't going to let a stranger into her house with a potential weapon on them.

Minerva was stunned, no one had ever demanded her wand before. Professor Dumbledore must have done something he hadn't told her about to elicit this particular reaction. But now was not time to be stubborn so slowly Minerva pulled her wand from her pocket and handed it over. Maria then stepped aside and let her in. Minerva followed Maria into the family room and took the offered chair. Maria put her wand on the coffee table and then set down what Minerva believed was called a fireleg.

Maria was never so happy for her special permit to own a pistol then she was right now. "Would you care for some tea, Minerva?" Maria asked trying for a little hospitality.

"Yes, please." Minerva said just as John appeared with three cups of earl grey tea. "Oh thank you." Minerva told John as he handed her a cup. "Now first off I would like to apologize for any misunderstandings that may have occurred when Professor Dumbledore was here. Now I would," She tried to go on but was rather rudely interrupted by a rather irate Mrs. Ashwood.

"Apologize!? I am afraid you cannot just apologize for trying to take my child away from me!" Maria shouted.

Minerva's eyes widened apparently this misunderstanding was rather more detrimental then Dumbledore had led her to believe. Perhaps he did not realize how bad it was. Oh well it was her job to fix this and bring this family into the wizarding world. "Professor Dumbledore would not do such a thing. You must have misunderstood."

"Misunderstood? No it is very hard to misunderstand the meaning behind his words. In fact his exact words were 'I am Albus Dumbledore. I have come to take you back to the Dursley's.'" Maria told Minerva who had gone a little pale. "Harry." Maria called out. "Please come down stairs." A moment later Harry was down stairs and next to his mom. "Harry please tell this lady what the old man said earlier." Maria asked her son as gently as she could.

Harry got rather tense and grabbed his mom's hand. "He said he was going to take me back to the Dursley's." Harry said as he started to cry.

Maria quickly picked her son up and placed him on her lap wrapping her arms around him. "It's alright Harry. No one will take you away from here. I promise." Maria said soothingly as her son started to calm down. Harry just cuddled into Maria's arms. "You see what your friend has done? He should be ashamed of himself!" Maria hissed at Minerva.

Minerva was in a state of shock attempting to sort out this new piece of information. Dumbledore had basically out right lied to her and on top of that had attempted to take this child from his family and send him to the Dursley's...the Dursleys. Now why did that name sound so familiar. Isn't that...no. It couldn't be. "Excuse me I am sorry for asking but could you please tell me Harry's last name."

"It's Potter. Why?"

"I just know that Professor Dumbledore had always been insistent that Harry live with the Dursleys. I myself did not agree with the decision as they seemed like wretched people to me. But for some reason Albus felt as though leaving him with family was the best option." Minerva said.

"John." Maria said looking at her husband. "Why don't you take Harry and get him some of your chocolate, hmm. I would like a private word with Ms. McGonagall." Maria told her husband trying to keep venom out of her voice. But before Maria could continue Minerva broke the silence.

"Harry looks a little thin and frail for his age. Does he have some condition?" Minerva asked perhaps if she could fix whatever malady vexed the young boy she could get on Maria's good side, or at least off her bad one.

"His 'condition' as you put it is that he has been starved, beaten, and abused his entire life!" Maria hissed at the woman. "Those horrific Dursleys that your precious boss was so keen to get him back to are in prison for the atrocities they committed against that boy!" This cause Minerva's eyes to once again shoot wide open.

"No, Albus must not have been aware that Harry was being mistreated. Otherwise he would have taken him out of that house long ago!" Minerva said trying once again to defend her friend and coworker.

"Oh really? Well then listen to this when I asked him if he knew that the Dursleys were mistreating him, and how they were doing it. What do you suppose he said? He said that Harry was ALIVE so all is well!" Maria told Minerva with a murderous look.

Minerva was silent for a long time after hearing that. She could not comprehend Albus Dumbledore the greatest wizard of the age doing something so horrid. After a long internal struggle Minerva had finally accepted the fact that there was no misunderstanding and that something must be done about Albus. She would deal with him later though. Now she had a more pressing problem. "Mrs. Ashwood I cannot tell you how sorry I am for my colleagues actions. I assure you steps will be taken so that this will never happen again." Minerva said sincerely. "Would it be possible for us at least to start over?"

Maria looked Minerva over trying to spot anything that would suggest that she was trying to pull a fast one. All Maria found was that Minerva was actually sincere in her wish to make a fresh go at it all. It also seemed that she had no idea what her colleague had done. Sadly Minerva wasn't the one in the wrong here she was, and it was time to make things right. "Alright." She said with a smile. "However I must insist that you call me Maria. And I must apologize while I may be upset with your coworker that is no reason for me to take it out on you. I am sorry."

Minerva smiled at that. Maybe this wouldn't be so hard after all. "I accept, so long as you call me Minerva." The two women just looked at each other and giggled. They were both behaving rather childishly.. "So," Minerva started as the giggles began to go away. "I assume you have many questions about Harry after seeing Professor Dumbledore being bodily thrown across your lawn."

"I'm afraid you are mistaken. Harry didn't throw Professor Dumbledore anywhere, trust me." Maria told her.

"Not with his hands, no. But with his magic. Harry is a wizard." Minerva said expecting the usual shock and denial. What she didn't expect was laughter. "I am sorry but what is so funny?"

"You think that Harry is a wizard because you believe he threw your friend across my front yard?" Maria asked trying to hold back her laughter.

"No. I believe him to be a wizard because his father was a wizard and his mother was a witch." Minerva said very matter of factly. "The fact that he used his magic today as accidental as it might have been is just proof to the fact that he is a wizard." Maria got rather silent at this.

"Um, Minerva I promise that it wasn't Harry who threw Dumbledore. But are you sure that what threw him was magic? I mean couldn't it have been some random ability. I mean I have seen some comic books and they have some crazy abilities in those." Maria asked wanting to make sure before she said anything about Merlyn.

"I am afraid so. Dumbledore despite his apparent failings is a rather brilliant wizard. He knows magic when he sees it. And I am afraid that as both you and your husband are muggles, people who do not possess magic, there is no one else who could have done it."

"I am afraid you are wrong." Maria said and continued when she saw a look of confusion on Minerva's face. "Harry didn't do it. My other son Lynn did." Minerva's face went from confusion to shock in a heartbeat. "Lynn has been able to do things like that for over a year now. Of course when he first started he couldn't control his magic at all. It took a few months before he was able to use his magic without my husband talking him through it." Minerva at this point was flabbergasted.

"Um, if you don't mind me asking just how old is Lynn?"

"Oh, well we don't know exactly." At seeing the glance Minerva gave her she continued. "We found him in the middle of the road while driving about a year and a half ago. But I would say he is at most ten months older than Harry." Minerva wasn't sure what to do. A child being able to consciously control magic at this age was almost unheard of. "But if Harry is a wizard too then I'm sure he will catch up with Lynn in no time. John will absolutely love this. He is a magician and just loves magic. You know he has been saying ever since I met him that magic is real." Maria finished with a laugh. "Oh but back to Lynn and Harry. So what happens now?"

"Well," Said Minerva slowly so she could regain her composure. "First I would like to see your son, Lynn. Do you think you could convince him to show me what he can do?" Minerva asked. Maria just laughed.

"Convince? There is no need to convince him. He loves using his gift any chance he gets. Lynn, can you come down here please." Maria called out before heading to the kitchen to fetch John and Harry. Soon everyone was seated in the living room. "Well there have been a few developments." And Maria told her family everything that both she and Minerva had talked about only leaving out the parts about Dumbledore. Lynn and Harry were both excited that they were both wizards. 'Honestly what kid wouldn't be?' Maria thought. John on the other hand looked like a child who had just been told that everyday was Christmas. His eyes kept darting between his sons, the wand on the coffee table, and the witch sitting in the chair. "So Minerva would like to see you use your magic, alright?"

"Sure!" Lynn said excitedly. He loved using his gift in front of others. He gave his mom an odd look when she asked if he needed a candle. "No mom, I don't need a candle anymore." This was going to be great not only was he going to show what he could do to an actual witch, he would show his mom a new trick not to mention his brother. This was going to be awesome.

"Alright son do it just like we've been practicing." John told his son. Merlyn went and stood in front of the fireplace and held out his hands so that his palms were facing each other. A deep breath in, and then he felt the pulses. With each pulse he pushed it into the space between his palms to try and create fire. Pulse, pause, pulse, pause, and so it went. Each pulse produced a spark right in-between his palms. Each pulse came faster then the last and so to came the sparks. After ten pulses it became a constant stream of sparks until...fire. A small flame was now floating in the middle of his hands. The pulses kept feeding the fire and it grew, eventually becoming the size of an apple before it disappeared.

The moment the fire went out John rushed to his son as he collapsed. He picked up his son and headed into the kitchen. Minerva was both shocked at what the boy had done and worried that he collapsed. Harry immediately turned to his mom. "Mom! Is Lynn okay!?"

"Yes dear he is just tired and hungry after making that fire. In fact do you see that fire on the mantel." Maria asked her son pointing to the lantern. Harry nodded. "That was the very first flame your brother ever made." Harry's eyes widened in wonder.

Minerva couldn't believe what she was hearing the first thing that boy did was make everlasting fire? "How long ago did you say he did that?" She asked Maria.

"About a year and a half ago. I have to tell you though it isn't cheap to keep going. That lantern goes through at least one liter of oil a week." Maria told her with a smile. It took Minerva a few minutes to realize that while Lynn created the flame it wasn't everlasting just a fire that has been kept alive. She honestly didn't need any more surprises today there had been quiet enough already. At that point John came out of the kitchen carrying a sleeping Merlyn.

"Harry why don't you go on in the kitchen there is some dinner waiting for you then you can head on up to bed." Seeing the look on Harry's face John thought he better explain. "You are not in trouble Harry. And I know it's early but both you and Merlyn will have a busy day tomorrow so it is best to get to sleep early." He said with a smile and Harry seemed to feel better as he headed into the kitchen.

"Merlyn?" Minerva asked Maria.

"That's Lynn's actual name. I just liked Lynn better but Jonathan will only call him Merlyn." Maria told Minerva before letting out a laugh. "Now that I think about it Merlyn fits him perfectly. After all Merlyn is a wizard." Maria laughed at her own little joke. Just then John sat down beside her and put an arm around her shoulders.

"So is there anything we should know considering our sons are wizards?" John asked.

"Actually a few things but it has been a trying day for everyone I think. Would it be alright if I called on you again tomorrow?"

"Sure drop by anytime." John told her getting up and handing Minerva her wand.

"Oh and plan on a trip to London when I come tomorrow." Minerva told them as she turned and vanished.

Dumbledore was currently sitting at his desk sucking on a lemon drop. His leg was now feeling much better. Young Mr. Potter was indeed a rather strong wizard. Dumbledore glanced at his watch. Minerva was cutting this very close, they only had about an hour left before the wards could not be reactivated. To be honest he was not sure that they could be now but there was a chance. Just as he had finally decided that he needed to go check on Minerva there was a knock on his door. With a sigh of relief he sat back down. "Enter." In came Minerva McGonagall, and a rather upset one at that. "I take it the meeting did not go well. Unfortunately I rather suspected that it would not. I am surprised that it took you so long to convince them that young Harry would be too much for them to handle however. But that is neither here nor there. Now we simply need to get the Dursleys out of prison and take them all back to number four Privet Drive." Dumbledore went on not noticing that his Deputy Headmistress was getting more and more upset with almost each passing syllable coming out of his mouth. Eventually he looked up and noticed just how angry she was and so tried to sympathize. "Minerva I am sorry I had you go to the Ashwoods. But this needed to be done. I realize they are rather brash but now that Harry is no longer with them there is no reason for anyone to go back there." He said trying to placate her. However the words had the exact opposite effect.

"Albus! I have just spent a very interesting evening with the Ashwoods and I just so happened to learn exactly what happened during your first visit earlier today! I am horrified at what you have done Albus!" Dumbledore was quite taken aback. "I am appalled that you knew of Harry's treatment at the hands of the Dursleys and not only did you let it continue but you were actually planning on putting him back in that situation now that he finally has a loving and caring family! How could you Albus?" Minerva just went off. She could not understand how Albus Dumbledore of all people could do such a thing.

"Minerva, I" Dumbledore tried to explain himself but wasn't given a chance.

"Dumbledore, I no longer care to hear your opinion. I was hoping that this was all just one big misunderstanding, but after listening to you just now I can see that those hopes were unfounded. So now I am offering you an ultimatum. Considering your actions and also in this case lack thereof in regards to Harry Potter, I am hereby asking for your resignation. I can not in good conscience have you remain at this school when you have treated a child in the way you have. If you do not hand in your resignation by the end of the week I am afraid I will have to go to the Daily Prophet with a full account of the events of today." Minerva then turned around and headed out of the office. "Good day!" She said sternly as she slammed the door.

Dumbledore was stunned. He did not see this coming. Minerva had always been one of his staunchest supporters. What had happened at that house. It was obvious that the Ashwoods had not given up custody of Harry. And now this entire fiasco could end up on the front page. He had obviously misread the circumstances with the Ashwoods and should have handled it differently. Now what was he to do. There had to be a way out of this mess he created. He just had to find it, and he would after all he did have a week.

The next morning the Ashwood family awoke in rather high spirits. While the previous day began rather poorly it ended rather well. After a large breakfast John told his kids to get ready for a trip to London when Mrs. McGonagall arrived. A few hours later there came a knock at the door. When Maria opened the door she found a very different Minerva from yesterday. Today she seemed to be wearing a green and black suit. It looked rather good on the older woman. "Hello Minerva. Have you had breakfast?" Maria asked inviting Minerva inside.

"Yes I have is everyone ready to go?"

"Well if they are not they will be soon. So where are we going?" Maria asked her curiosity getting the better of her.

"It's a surprise Maria." Minerva told her with a sly smile. "I know that you all will love it. Ah here we are." She said as the rest of the family came into view. "Well if everyone is ready I say lets go."

"So where to?" John asked after they all piled into the car.

"Leadenhall Market. Once we get near there find a place to park and we can walk the rest of the way." Minerva said. About an hour later they found themselves standing in Leadenhall Market.

"So where to now?" asked John. Minerva just smiled and started walking. All of a sudden she just turned into a doorway that neither John or Maria had ever noticed before. It look rather old and rundown. While they just stared Harry dragged Maria inside while Merlyn did the same with John. Inside was a rather dark pub. "You wanted to bring us to a pub?" John asked who was rather confused.

Minerva just turned to him. "No, we just have to go through the pub. Oh, hello Tom." Minerva said waving at the barkeep. "That's Tom the barkeep. He may seem a little odd but he is harmless. Ah, now this is why we are here." Minerva said as she stopped in front of a brick wall.

"A brick wall?" John asked. Minerva once again just smiled and pulled out her wand and tapped the brick three up and two across from the trash can. The moment her wand touched the brick a hole started to form in the wall. The bricks all turning and moving out of the way to leave an archway.

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. I have found that it is a hard for me to write confrontations. Please review and let me know what you think. Thank you.**


	9. Chapter 9: Would you be Sirius Black

**A/N: Hello everyone here is chapter 9. Once again a few minor additions but no big changes yet. Sorry. But they will be here very soon. Please enjoy.**

"Welcome to Diagon Alley!"

"Wow." John breathed. The rest of his family were having similar reactions. It was a very good thing that both John and Maria had a hold of their children's hands or else they would have likely bolted right through that archway. Even now they were trying their best to pull their parents into the alley. John could not believe his eye's. To be honest he wasn't even sure what he was looking at. Minerva was just standing to the side, giving the family an unobstructed view. "What is all this?" John asked Minerva.

"This, Mr. Ashwood, is the wizarding world's British economic center. Now I have about a hour before I must get back to Hogwarts so why don't we start by getting a bite to eat. I still have a lot to explain. I was actually supposed to explain everything to you yesterday but given the circumstances that did not happen." Minerva said apologetically. "Now I should be able to explain everything before I need to go back. After I leave feel free to explore. However I would suggest that you stay out of Knockturn Alley. It is not off limits or anything like that, but it is rather a seedy place." Minerva said to Maria and John. She would have told Merlyn and Harry the same thing but it did not seem as though they were paying attention to anyone as they looked around in wonder.

"I am afraid we have already eaten." Maria said. "And I am not sure that the kids will sit through a meal with all of this." Maria stated while gesturing all around her. To her surprise Minerva just smiled.

"Actually I think I know the perfect place." Minerva told them trying not to allow her grin to get any wider. "Just follow me. I think I know just the thing for two kids who want to run around." Now both John and Maria were confused but followed along non the less. "Ah, here we are." Minerva said as she stopped in front of a yellow shop with a few tables out front. The sign said 'Florean Fortescue's Ice Cream Parlour'.

Maria looked at John questioningly but John just smiled and shrugged. "Well I think this just might do it." Maria said letting a small chuckle escape before she turned to her sons. Who were still looking all over the place and not noticing that they were in front of an ice cream shop. "Hey kids, how would you like some ice cream before we start exploring?" Maria asked. Both Harry and Lynn looked at their mom before noticing that they were in fact in front of an ice cream parlour. The two didn't even bother answering before they ran inside.

"Why hello there. And how are you two today?" A man from behind the counter asked.

"We're great!" The pair said rather quickly now observing all the ice cream flavors.

"Ah, and a good day to you as well." The man said towards the adults who were now coming inside. "Why, Professor McGonagall! I didn't expect to see you for at least another few weeks when term ended. This is a pleasant surprise." The man exclaimed with a delighted smile.

"Hello Florean, and this is a rather special occasion. These are the Ashwoods. John, Maria, Lynn, and Harry. And I must say from the look on the kids faces you have an opportunity to gain a few lifetime customers if you play your cards right." Minerva told Florean with a knowing grin. No one made better ice cream then Florean after all so it shouldn't be to hard.

"Well then lets get to it. Do you see anything you like?" He asked the two.

"Can you mix two of the flavors?" Harry asked. John had to smile knowing where this was going. Florean was simply perplexed why anyone would want to mix flavors.

"I can but why don't you try them separately before you mix them? Hmm." He asked trying to reason with the children. Unfortunately it didn't work.

"No thanks. Can I get a mix of mint and strawberry?" Merlyn asked.

"I suppose so." Florean answered wondering how that would actually taste. "And for you?" Florean asked Harry.

"Can I get a mix of strawberry and mint?" Florean was beginning to think he knew just how this combination came about. But who on earth would serve a combination like that.

"Very well one mint and strawberry, and one strawberry and mint coming right up." Florean said loudly and with a flick of his wand two balls of mint popped out of their container while at the same time two balls of strawberry popped out and they started to mix together and finally separated into two bowls. "And what can I get for the rest of you?"

"Just for the kids today I think." John told the man. "So how much do we owe you?"

"One galleon and nine sickles." Florean answered a now confused John with an equally confused Maria next to him.

"Don't worry about this." Minerva said. "This is on me." She told them as she pulled two gold coins from her purse and handed them over to Florean. "Now why don't we join the kids at the table." When they sat down they could tell that the kids were in heaven. Minerva smiled as she turned to the Ashwood patriarchs. "So let me see where to start. Oh my look at the time, I will need to be quick. Well considering what just happened let me tell you that you can find out everything about our money and the conversion rate from the goblins at Gringotts." Minerva started to explain but paused when she saw the puzzled look on John's face. "Gringotts is the wizarding bank." She quickly answered. "That should be your first stop since you will be needing our currency to do any shopping."

John couldn't wait any longer and just blurted out, "Goblins!?"

Minerva realized that she didn't actually answer John's puzzled look after all. "Yes. The goblin nation runs Gringotts. I would go into fuller detail but I don't have too much time left. Now all you need to know is be very respectful and they will treat you right." Seeing as John was about to interrupt again Minerva gave him a stern glare and quickly headed him off. "If there is anything I don't explain you can probably find out about it in a book from Flourish and Blotts. Now then to continue, ah yes you can't let the knowledge that our world exists out or it would mean big trouble for you at the Ministry of Magic. The Ministry of Magic is our governing body they do work with the British government but not for them. They are an entirely separate entity." Minerva then went on to explain about muggles, pure bloods, using owl mail. She was about to bring up Hogwarts but thought it wise to leave that discussion for another time. By the time she finished explaining everything and answered a few of John and Maria's questions it was time for her to go. "Florean do you mind if I use your fireplace?" Florean who had been listening, due to the fact that there was no one else in his shop, shook his head and gestured towards a pot.

John and Maria turned to watch Minerva throw some powder into the fireplace and a bright green fire spring up. Their jaws dropped when they witnessed Minerva step into the flames and then disappear taking the flames with her. "What just happened?" Maria asked out loud.

Florean thought he was being asked the question and answered, "We can travel from fireplace to fireplace so long as the fireplaces are on the floo network."

Maria did not know what floo was, but she did understand 'fireplace to fireplace'. "Thank you." Maria told Florean. She looked down and saw that Harry and Lynn were done with their ice cream. "Did you guy's like it?" The two kids had smiles on their faces as they nodded slowly. Apparently they were still in ice cream heaven. "Well in that case it is time to go we have some exploring to do don't we?" She asked them and immediately the two came back to reality.

"Um, I was wondering if you could tell us where Gringotts is?" John asked Florean.

"Sure, it's that large marble building at the end of the alley."

"Thanks." John said to the man as the family left. The four then made their way to the large marble building all the while looking around and taking in the sights. Finally they reached the huge doors of Gringotts. John let out a whistle. This building was enormous. The large doors were already open so that patrons could just walk right on in. As they were heading in Maria drew his attention to a sign. The sign read, 'Enter, stranger, but take heed; Of what awaits the sin of greed; For those who take, but do not earn; Must pay most dearly in their turn. So if you seek beneath our floors; A treasure that was never yours; Thief, you have been warned, beware; Of finding more than treasure there.' "Well I guess it's a good thing we weren't planning on robbing the place." John said with a chuckle making his wife smile. John along with his family walked right up to the counter and addressed the goblin. 'So this is a goblin! Incredible!' John thought. "Hello, sir, we were hoping that you could help us." John said addressing the goblin.

The goblin looked up from his pile of gold with dark eyes and studied the man in front of him. Then with a cold nasally voice, "Do you have an account with us?"

"No I am..." John started to answer but then remembered that Minerva had said that Harry's parents were a witch and wizard so Harry might just happen to have one. "I don't think that we do. But our son Harry might."

"Very well. Please wait here." The goblin told John. A few minutes later the goblin returned with a few pieces of paper and what appeared to be a silver dagger. "Now please give me everyone's hands and we shall see if you have a vault with us."

"Excuse me but what exactly do you plan to do with that dagger?" Maria asked suspiciously.

The goblin let out a huff. "The paper needs a blood sample in order to work. So I will need a sample from each of you. I figured while I am finding out if one of you has a vault I might as well see if the rest of you do as well." The goblin told him with a sneer. John and Maria got the feeling that the goblin just wanted to have some sick fun. But John figured it might not be such a bad idea. For all they knew Merlyn had a vault and it would be easier for the kids if they saw their parents do this first.

"Alright." John answered earning him a wide eyed look from his wife. He just smiled back at her letting her know he would explain later. "I'll go first." John said holding out his finger for the goblin to prick. The goblin had other ideas and grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand forward.

"Open you hand please. I need a decent amount of blood. Don't worry this is standard procedure." The goblin said with a sadistic smile. After all just because it was procedure doesn't mean he can't enjoy it. John took a deep breath and opened his hand. The goblin quickly made a rather deep cut in John's palm and blood started pouring out onto the sheet of paper. John winced at the cut, it seemed to burn.

"How much do you need exactly?" John asked since the goblin didn't make any attempt to stop the bleeding. Just as he finished his question he felt a warm comforting sensation surround the cut and it stopped bleeding. When he wiped the blood off you could not even tell that there had even been a cut there. 'Wow!' John thought to himself, 'Magic is amazing!"

The goblin let the blood pour onto piece of paper. The blood seemed to be absorbed into it. The goblin then held up the paper and watched it for a few minutes but nothing seemed to happen when he started talking, "Well it appears as though you do not have an account with us. Next." Maria went up and got her palm sliced. Once again nothing happened. Now it was Harry's turn.

Harry wasn't looking forward to this at all. The Dursleys had had done worse to him but he still really didn't want to do this. Then he felt a hand on his shoulder, it was his brother's. That gave Harry the strength he needed. His new mom and dad had both done it so it couldn't be too bad, right? He walked over to his dad so that he could pick him up, the counter was rather high after all.

"Now don't worry about a thing Harry. It only hurts for a little bit. I promise." John told Harry trying to calm him down as much as possible. After all it wasn't everyday that someone wants to cut your son's hand and you let them. The goblin quickly took Harry's hand and slit it. Harry winced and John could see a tear in his eye. "It's alright son, I'm here. It will all be over soon." Harry nodded but kept his eyes shut. Then John saw the skin healing on it's own, that coupled with the look on Harry's face let him know that his son was done. "There we go." John said while putting his son down. "Now that wasn't so bad now was it?" Harry shook his head and gave his dad a small smile.

The goblin then for the third time held up the piece of paper and held it for a few minutes. Just like John's and Maria's the blood seemed to be absorbed by the parchment. It now looked as though there was never any blood on it at all. A few minutes passed and then words started to form on the paper. The words seemed to be written in blood. Harry's blood. "Ah yes, Mr. Potter does indeed have a vault with us. Might I say welcome back Mr. Potter." The goblin said giving Harry a smile. While the smile showed a lot of ferocious pointed teeth the goblin didn't seem any where near as creepy and sadistic as he had up until that point. "Next." The goblin said rather politely. John was rather confused apparently Harry's family had some clout here.

"Alright, Lynn, it's your turn."

Lynn looked at his dad. He wasn't exactly looking forward to this either. But he couldn't let his brother see him chicken out. So with a deep breath he stepped over to his mom who picked him up. Just like with Harry it hurt. It hurt a lot, but then after about twenty seconds he felt a comforting warmth on his palm and the pain was all gone. Soon enough he was back on the ground looking at his palm. He had never even thought about using magic to heal. That would of helped a lot during his mom's self defense training.

John and Maria were observing the paper. After all Lynn was a wizard so maybe he had a vault as well. However by the look on the goblin's face he would disagree. But then just like Harry's paper, writing started to appear. The goblin's eyes widened in surprise at what was written before he looked back towards the Ashwood family. "Please follow me and I will take you to the manger of your accounts." the goblin said as he hoped off his stool and lead them to an office door sporting the name Ragnok. The goblin opened the door and motioned them inside and then closed the door behind them. "Ragnok, something has come up." The goblin said handing the two pieces of paper to Ragnok.

"I see. That will be all then." Ragnok told the other goblin who promptly excused himself. "Now, Mr. and Mrs..."

"Ashwood." John supplied.

"Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood, you two have no vault with us. However your two charges," Ragnok began but was interrupted.

"Children." Maria sternly told the goblin. "These are our children not our charges." She clarified.

Ragnok gave her a toothy smile, "I see, well your child Harry has inherited control of the Potter Family vault. Vault number 687. Do you have the key?" When the family shook their heads he continued. "No problem we will have a new one made. For today I will bypass the lock when we visit the Potter vault. Now onto you." Ragnok said looking down at Merlyn. "You Mr..."

"Ashwood." Maria supplied this time with quite a bit of pride.

"Mr. Ashwood you are the rightful owner of vault number 7, the Ambrosius Family vault." Ragnok was then interrupted by a knock at his door. "Ah, that must be your vault files." He said as a goblin came in and put two packets on Ragnok's desk. "Now would you care to see your vaults?" Both Harry and Merlyn were quite keen to find that they actually had vaults in Gringotts and headed towards the door before being stopped by their dad's voice.

"Actually, there is one more matter that we would like to discuss creating an Ashwood Family vault." John said. Maria turned toward her husband shocked. When had he decided this?

"Well it is a fairly simple matter. All we need is a blood sample and for you to select a level of security. A low security vault runs at about one hundred galleons a year, a medium security vault is five hundred galleons a year. In order to get any higher security you must already have a vault and must have had it for at least one year." Ragnok said

"Ah, that is another thing that I would like to discuss with you. What is the exchange rate?" John asked.

'Ah they are muggles that explains a lot' Ragnok thought. "Well a galleon is worth five pounds, a sickle is worth .29 pounds, and a knut is worth .01 pounds."

"Can you communicate with muggle banks or do you need cash to open an account?" John asked.

"We have human employees here at Gringotts so a check should be fine." Ragnok smiled greedily.

"Very well. I would like a low security vault." John said writing out a check for ten thousand pounds. "When will it be ready?"

"Well I can assign you a vault immediately. We also will cash any check you give us. However I will warn you. If you cross us we will come after you and get what is ours. Do you understand?" Ragnok stated threateningly. John just nodded "Now you will have vault number 912. We will stop there first. Your money should already be there. Please follow me and remember to keep your limbs inside the cart at all times." Ragnok said with a sadistic smile. He really loved peoples first cart rides.

Maria pulled her husbands arm and had him fall behind a bit so she could talk to him. "Jonathan, what was that all about? Why did you get a vault?" Maria asked using a rather stern voice letting him know that she was rather upset. "And more importantly why didn't you discuss any of this with me?" This time there was no sternness in her voice only hurt.

John was a little shocked when his wife started in on him but by the end he understood. And he needed to fix this now. "I am sorry, love. It just came to me that with our son's having vaults of their own I wasn't sure which we would use or how much money is in them. And I don't want to use their money for schooling or anything. We are their parents after all and it is our duty to pay for all of this. Getting a vault just kind of made that official that's all. Whatever money that was left for them will give them a safety net when they are older." John said as quickly as he could. He hated seeing Maria hurt like this. "And come on it is only ten thousand. We still have plenty left over from my last tour a few years ago. Remember we retired off that money and we still have quite a bit left. And remember I didn't spend the money just moved it into this bank. That's all." Maria thought about what her husband said and realized that he was right. So with a smile and a peck on the cheek they boarded the cart that was going to take them to their vault.

The ride was horrible. No question about it. Thank god it was short. The family was now standing in front of their brand new vault. Number 912, Ragnok went over to the door and ran his finger down it. A few seconds later the door started to hiss and screech. After a minute a key hole appeared in the middle of the door with the key protruding from the lock. At a gesture from Ragnok John walked up and turned the key. With the turn of the key the door started to open inward to show a rather spacious room. Inside was a mound of gold galleons, a small pile of silver sickles, and two piles of knuts. "So this is what ten thousand pounds looks like?"

"Actually this is what nine thousand five hundred looks like. We have already taken out the yearly fee." Ragnok stated.

"Well I have a feeling we will need a decent amount today. Why don't we load up your purse, love. At least until we can get a...moneybag is I suppose what is used to carry these coins around." Maria opened her purse and put a few hundred galleons inside. "Alright it looks as though it is time to visit Harry's vault." John said rather jovially. The family hopped back into the cart and zoomed off. It took a few minutes of very rough riding to get to Harry's vault. As they pulled up outside the vault everyone piled out of the cart trying not to throw up. It did take a little while for everyone to find their feet again. While the Ashwoods were finding their feet Ragnok went to the door and had it create a new key the exact same way he did with the new Ashwood Family vault.

Harry turned to his father as if to ask for permission. When he received a nod Harry slowly made his way to the door. It wasn't that he was still feeling sick, it was that this vault belonged to his parents. With one final breath he reached out and turned the key. As the doors slowly opened Harry's mouth dropped open as did the rest of his family's. Inside were mounds and mounds of gold galleons, piles and piles of silver sickles, and towers among towers of bronze knuts. Harry might not know a lot about money but he did know one thing, he was rich, very rich.

Behind Harry the rest of the Ashwoods just stood there stunned. John and Maria were flabbergasted. After all ten thousand pounds only gave them a small pile of the gold coins and here in Harry's vault were multiple mounds that were at least as high as Harry. Everyone followed Harry inside the vault. While Harry, Lynn, and Maria were all looking at the piles of money something else caught John's eye. It was an envelope, and the only thing on it was a "To Harry" in the center. John looked over his shoulder to make sure that no one was looking and pocketed the letter. John knew that if Harry saw it he would want to open and read it right then and there, and he knew that this was going to be a very emotional time for Harry. This was something that needed to be done at home. A part of him hated to postpone this letter even for a second but he knew that it would be better to wait until they got home.

"Well Harry, what do you think?" Maria asked her son.

"I'm rich. I can pay you back for all the nice clothes you bought me the other day!" Harry said happily

Maria was shocked. How could he be thinking of something like that. She needed to put a stop to this right now. She quickly knelt down in front of Harry and said, "Harry, who am I?"

"Um, my mom." Harry said a little confused.

"That's right I am your mother. Which means I get the privilege of raising you. And that means that I get to buy you clothes." Maria told her son with conviction. "Why do you want to pay us back for the clothes?"

"Well I really like it here and didn't want to be a burden. The Dursleys always said that I was a burden and I didn't want to be a burden to you." Harry told her tears starting to form in his eyes.

"Oh baby, come here." Maria said bringing her son into a tight hug. "Honey, you will never be a burden, and do you know why? Because both your father and I love you very much. We will always love you." Maria said to the now crying Harry. No one had every said anything like that to him before. Maria was very glad the Dursleys were lock up, because if they weren't then she would likely be going to jail for murder. It took a little while for both mother and son to calm down. "Alright." said Maria as she stood back up and wiped her eyes. "I think it is time we visited your brothers vault."

John watched his wife and son as they got on the cart and couldn't help a tear fall from his eye. The Dursleys had most definitely caused a lot more problems than he thought. It was a good thing both he and Maria were up to the task of helping Harry.

Another cart ride later they arrived at vault 7. This cart ride took them a lot longer than the other two. John could swear that he even saw a dragon!. Unfortunately this time the cart ride truly did a number on the occupants. The moment the family got out of the cart they all collapsed thanking God that they were all still alive.

"Now this is one of our oldest and most secure vaults so please stand back." Ragnok said to the family. He walked over to the door and once again ran his finger down it. However this time there was no hissing or screeching. In fact there was no noise at all. The door just started to melt away. Ragnok grinned at their gaping faces. "If anyone but a Gringotts' goblin tried that they would be sucked inside and trapped." The family finally got over their shock from the door to look inside the vault. What they saw shocked them even more. The vault was empty. Not a single knut.

"Um, why is it empty?" John asked.

"Well the vault has been inactive for almost two thousand years." Ragnok said startling everyone." The previous owner disappeared sometime in the late 11th century and after a decade was declared dead in absentia. His will was then carried out and so all of his possessions were donated to various organizations. Most of which went to the Order of Merlin. But as he was one of the first to become a patron of Gringotts he was given certain privileges. One of which is a permanent vault. So there are no yearly fees."

The Ashwoods spent some time exploring the large empty vault before finally conceding that it truly was empty. After a bit of looking through the vault John went up to Ragnok and asked "If I may ask who was the previous owner?".

"Oh that would be Merlin Ambrosius." Ragnok stated calmly to John's complete surprise. His son had a vault that had belonged to THE Merlin! John didn't know what to think at this particular revelation. But as he had started to think about the implications of what he had just learned Maria came up next to him and brought him back to reality. He would have to discuss this with her later. They were dreading the ride back up to the entrance as they all knew it would be longer than the others. Maria pointed out that it will end sooner if they start sooner. That didn't help much, but once she pointed out that there were a lot of magical shops to see they all scrambled to get in the cart.

"I never want to ride that cart again." Harry said as they were leaving Gringotts, causing everyone else to chuckle.

"Don't worry son. I'll ride it from now on." John told him. They family then walked down the alley and stopped into any shop that they found interesting. They popped into the stationary shop where they found an assortment of quills, inks, and parchment. John bought a decent supply of all three. Might as well get the kids used to writing with these things. They next popped into Quality Quidditch supplies. They didn't get anything there but had a blast looking around the store. The two kids were definitely interested in the broomsticks. John couldn't believe that riding broomsticks was a real thing. Maria looked around in interest but wasn't quite as excitable as the others.

The rest of the day went on from their with the family visiting many different shops and cafes all throughout Diagon Alley. By the time they left through the leaky cauldron they had quite a few bags full of books, a daily prophet subscription, and a eagle owl who was being carried by Harry and Merlyn. The large bags of books might not have drawn much attention but a owl in a cage in the middle of London sure did. There were even a few random people following them until they made it to their car. While they were driving home the kids couldn't stop playing with their new pet.

"Mom, Dad can we name him?" Harry asked.

"Sure honey just make sure that it is a good name." Maria said with a smile.

"I've got it." Merlyn shouted. "How about Dive?" Harry shook his head. "Well then how about Gizmo?" Once again Harry shot it down.

"I like Berty." Harry said but this name was shot down by Merlyn. "Okay, fine. How about Rasp?" Merlyn looked like he was giving it some serious thought but in the end shot it down like the other. The car ride went on like this the entire way home. Harry and Merlyn would come up with a name only for the other to shoot it down. When they finally reached home and the boys still hadn't come to an agreement Maria thought it was time for some new prospective.

"Alright boys, we can't very well take our owl into our house without a name so do you mind if I suggest one?" Maria asked. Harry and Merlyn looked at each other and shrugged after all they couldn't come up with a good one. Together they turned back to their mom and waited for her suggestion. "How about Casper?"

The boys both smiled and turned to their owl. "What do you think? Do you like that name?" Harry asked. In reply the owl spread his wings and hooted in approval.

"Casper it is then. Thanks mom!" Merlyn almost shouted.

When everyone got inside they let Casper out of his cage. The moment the door was open he flew into the kitchen and perched on top of the fridge. "Hungry?" Maria asked playfully. When she got a hoot and a head bob she was shocked. Apparently owls were a lot more intelligent then she thought. Well if he is hungry we better feed him. "Harry, Merlyn come over here. How would you like to feed Casper?" Two sets of nods were her answer as she dug in the fridge for some left over chicken. When she found it she pulled out two drumsticks and handed them to her kids. "Alright Casper you do know this is a special treat right. Don't expect this every day." The owl hooted his ascent. "Alright then, come on down and be gentle." Casper tilted his head as if to say 'Well duh.' "Okay, okay I get it." Casper hopped off the refrigerator and with a few flaps of his wings landed on the island looking directly at the two pieces of chicken. Harry and Merlyn held out the chicken gingerly. Casper walked over to the edge of the counter and grabbed the offered pieces of chicken, Harry's with his beak and Merlyn's with one of his talons. Once he got the chicken Casper took off and flew upstairs to his cage with the two young boys running after him.

Maria was smiling when she turned around and the smile immediately lefter her face when she saw her husband. He looked troubled. "Honey, what is it?" She asked. They had just had one of the most amazing days of their lives especially for someone like her husband who loved magic with a passion.

"It's this." John answered pulling out the letter he found in Harry's vault. "I found it in Harry's vault. I'm not sure what to do with it. Should we read it before giving it to Harry, or let him be the first to read it?" John asked his wife.

"Oh, John." Maria said covering her mouth with her hand. This is why her husband was acting so subdued all day. They both remained silent for a little while thinking hard about what to do with the letter. "I think we should read it first and then decide what to do."

"I think you're right." John agreed. He then went into the living room and sat on the couch with Maria following right behind him. Once they were both seated they carefully opened the letter and read it.

Dear Harry,

Hello son. Your mother and I are writing this while you are asleep in your mother's arms. If you are reading this then I guess we have been found and well...never mind about that. But that also means that you have been spending the last ten years with your Dogfather Sirius. Your mother and I both hope you have been happy with him. He was our best friend and we knew no one would take care of you or love you like he will. Your Dogfather is here tapping his foot waiting for us to finish this letter. He can really be touchy sometimes. But that's okay. We will write many more letters to you. That way even if the worst should happen you can get to knew us and know how much we love you. Ah but now it is time to hand the note to Sirius so that he can put it in our vault. Please don't be mad at him for keeping this from you for so long. We are the ones who asked him to wait until your eleventh birthday. Hopefully Sirius's plan works and you won't even be reading this. But if you are there is one thing we want you to know. Harry we love you more than life itself. Never forget that.

Love,

Mom and Dad

By the time they finished they were both in tears. "Well," John said while wiping his eyes, "I wish we could have met the Potters."

"So what are we going to do? Should we give him the letter now?" Maria asked.

"No. His parents wanted him to have the letter on his eleventh birthday and that is exactly when we will give it to him. In the meantime I want to find out who this Sirius person is." John told his wife. And with that he put the letter in the wall safe. "Tomorrow I will take it back to Gringotts and put it in our vault." Maria nodded. "Come on. Lets get dinner started."

"You mean you will get dinner started and I will sit in the kitchen sipping wine and looking pretty?" Maria asked playfully.

Not missing a beat John answered, "Yep."

The rest of the week seemed to fly by for the Ashwoods. John and Maria had given Harry and Merlyn the week off while they got accustomed to the wizarding world. Most of the books they bought at Flourish and Blotts had to do with history, and wizarding laws and government. However they also got a few first year school books as well as books on magical theory, John got quite a few of those. Even though it seemed as though the only thing John and Maria did during the week was read they weren't even finished with the history books. But at the end of the week they did receive a pleasant surprise in the paper. Apparently Albus Dumbledore had resigned from his position as Headmaster of Hogwarts School of Witchcraft and Wizardry. They also had Minerva over for dinner a few times. Minerva who had never had John's cooking was not expecting anything special. By the time she left the first night she knew that she was wrong and most definitely looking forward to the next time she was invited over. It just so happens that she was invited over the morning that fateful prophet came out telling of Dumbledore's resignation. That night they celebrated Minerva's new position as Headmistress. Minerva was rather glad for the invitation and not just for John's food. She had a few more things to fix with John and Maria and now that Dumbledore resigned she would be able to do just that. Hopefully.

"Hello." Minerva said when Maria answered the door and invited her in. "How have you been?"

"We have been well. But it has only been a few days. We did see that you were given the Headmistress post at Hogwarts congratulations." Maria said while pouring them each a glass of wine.

"Thank you." Minerva said raising her glass and taking a sip. "Actually I must say I was happy to receive your invitation, and not just for John's cooking." She said with a chuckle. "I had a matter that I wished to discuss with you." She waited until she had Maria's full attention which didn't take long. "I wanted to talk to you and John about Harry and Merlyn."

"Oh. What about my children?" Maria asked. There was no heat or wariness in her voice. Minerva was someone whom she trusted, especially after reading about Dumbledore's resignation that morning. It didn't take a rocket scientist to figure out that Minerva had something to do with it.

"Well I wanted to ask what you were planning to do about Harry's and Merlyn's magical education once they turn eleven. I know that the previous Headmaster didn't exactly leave you with a good impression of the school but I can promise you that there will never happen again. I would like you to at least consider Hogwarts."

Maria smiled at Minerva. "Well I will tell you what so long as Dumbledore isn't there and you are Headmistress we will send them to Hogwarts. You in just getting rid of Dumbledore, a man who you seemed, at least on your first visit, to hold in high regards, have earned both my and my husband's respect." Maria told her. Minerva let out a breath she didn't know she was holding. "Ah now it smells like dinner is ready. Boys come on down dinner is ready." Maria shouted the last upstairs. Soon two blurs shot downstairs and into the kitchen.

Minerva gave her glass of wine a weary glance as she thought she saw an owl on one of the boy's shoulders. She was reassured she wasn't seeing things when Maria started talking while leading her to the kitchen. "You know we got Casper to be a family owl. But he seems to have rather attached himself to Lynn. Harry doesn't seem to mind but I think we will get him one of his own. Besides then Casper will have a playmate." She finished with a smile. Minerva was blown away. She had never seen anyone come to terms with the wizarding world like the Ashwoods seemed to. They acted as if this was how they had always lived this way. They even had an owl for heavens sake. She had just assumed that they used the post office in Diagon Alley. Minerva shook her head in disbelief. 'Now that all the business is taken care of all that is left is John's delicious dinner.' Minerva thought with a smile as she walked into the kitchen behind Maria.

Over the next week Maria and John had finished the history books, however the fact that two of them mentioned Harry and told of how he was the downfall of one of the worlds darkest wizards. The books never named this dark wizard however, only referring to him as you-know-who or he-who-shall-not-be-named. That in itself scared Maria because who on earth is so bad that people won't write his name down even after he is dead and gone. Now she was working on the law books and the wizarding world had some really dated laws. In fact there had only been around twenty laws introduced in the last one hundred years. One thing that puzzled her was the underage magic law. She had read something about a trace but if this was true then why didn't they receive any notices the previous year when Lynn was performing underage magic almost everyday. She decided to talk to Minerva when she came by for dinner in a few nights and in the meantime make sure both Harry and Lynn don't do any magic. John was spending his week trying to find out who this Sirius is. So far he has found out absolutely nothing, but then he has only been looking through the books that he bought. Well maybe Minerva could help him when she came by for dinner later this week.

"Minerva it's great to see you." Maria greeted as she gave Minerva a hug.

"Hello, Maria. I know I am early but I just needed to get away." Minerva told her friend. 'Friend when did that happen. This family is something else.' Minerva thought.

"Well you are always welcome here Minerva. But I do need your help if your not too worn out."

"I think I can help out a friend when she needs it. What can I do?" Minerva asked.

"Well I've been studying up on wizarding law." Maria said and Minerva was once again stunned. Most wizards and witches don't study wizard law. To be honest she didn't even know too much about it herself. "I was wondering why we haven't received any warnings from the Ministry of Magic. I mean Lynn has been doing magic for over a year and we have heard nothing."

Minerva's eyes went wide. She knew that Lynn could make a fire and levitate small objects but didn't know he had been able to do it for that long. "Well I believe that is due to the fact that Merlyn isn't eleven yet. When a young witch or wizard turns eleven the trace is activated and doesn't deactivate until their seventeenth birthday." As both Minerva and Maria were sitting down John brought each of them a glass of wine.

"Thanks honey. So why eleven?"

"Eleven is the age that witches and wizards begin their magical education." Minerva said.

"Well as long as you are answering questions I was hoping you could answer one of mine." John said and then went on to tell her about their trip to Gringotts and finding out about the kids vaults. Then he reached into his pocket and pulled out Harry's letter. "I went to Gringotts earlier today and got this letter out of the vault. I would like you to read it." John said as he handed it to her. Minerva read the letter and her reaction was almost identical to Maria's. Once she finished she handed the paper back to John who folded it back up and put it away. "Now can you tell me who this Sirius is?"

Minerva took a few minutes to get her emotions back in check. "The Sirius is that letter would be Sirius Black." At the complete lack of shock on their faces Minerva had to remind herself that despite how they live now they only joined the wizarding world a few weeks ago. "Ah yes well Sirius Black is currently serving a life sentence in Azkaban. "

"I assume that is a prison." At a nod from Minerva John continued. "What did he do?"

"He betrayed Lily and James to you-know-who. He was after them and they were in hiding. They were put under a Fidelius charm. Basically the only person that can find him is a person that was designated as their secret keeper. The spell takes all knowledge of an whatever the subject of the charm is and places it inside a person, known as the secret keeper. It is rather complicated but the summary is that everyone who has knowledge of the subject forgets until either they are told by the secret keeper or the spell is lifted. Sirius was James and Lily's secret keeper. So he was the only person who could have betrayed them. And then after he-who-must-not-be-named got to them another of Lily and James' friends Peter Pettigrew went out to hunt Sirius down. Well he found Sirius but Sirius killed him and a bunch of muggles." Minerva finished with a sob. She hated thinking about the Potters. They were the best people anyone could hope to meet.

"Well I think that is enough of that for tonight. Let's go and have a good dinner." John said. When John said dinner everyone turned toward the stairs as two boys came downstairs. Minerva was only a little surprised so see a snowy owl on Harry's shoulders. "Her name is Hedwig. Harry found the name while reading one of the history books. I'm afraid he isn't as interested in history as I am." John said seeing the look on Minerva's face. John might have said that they were done but Maria could tell that he was doing a lot of thinking about all of this.

Later when dinner was over and everyone was in bed Maria decided to bring Sirius up. She really wanted to know what her husband was thinking. "So about Sirius?"

"What about him?" John asked still deep in thought.

"Oh don't give me that. I know that look. You have been doing nothing but thinking about him and that letter all evening. And you wouldn't be doing that if you had already made up your mind about him. So spill. What's going through that brain of yours?" Maria asked .

"Well, I have been thinking about everything really. From the letter to Minerva's description of the man, even though she didn't say much. At least we know why he hasn't been taking care of Harry. But something is bothering me about it. But before I make up my mind I think I need to talk to the man. I don't know what is bugging me and I can't put my finger on it and that makes it even more annoying." John explained.

"Well I will tell you one thing there is nothing you can't get out of a government so long as you fill out the right paper work. So why don't you figure out what papers are needed. And hey while your at it why don't you get us hooked up to the Floo network. After all there is nothing that says we can't be connected." And there wasn't. One of the many things that she had been researching in those law books was how much they could get away with as muggles. And funnily enough while muggles couldn't get anything, so long as there was a resident wizard the entire household was treated as a magical home in the eye's of the law. Wizarding law was weird but who's complaining.

It had taken over a month just to find the right forms to fill out to visit an inmate of Azkaban. The Ministry of Magic seemed to have more red tape then any other government in the world. The only bit of good news is that while they bury some forms like the prisoner visitation forms deep many mundane ones such as floo network connection forms were easy to find and fill out. In fact they were connected after only a week. But eventually John found the forms and made sure to grab multiple copies just in case. So now it was all a waiting game. Unfortunately it was a long wait. It took another two months before they were allowed to visit Sirius. Over those months John and Maria had started homeschooling their kids again. The subjects covered however changed a little bit. For instance history turned into wizarding history. Of course magic practice stayed the same. It took Harry a while to find that pulsing feeling but with help from his brother he was catching up. John had decided to let Merlyn practice but not move on until Harry caught up. Merlyn was fine with that since he didn't want his brother to feel like he was falling behind. However just practicing lighting candles and lifting rubber balls seemed to have an unexpected side effect. After three months of just practicing the "basics" it was becoming easier to do. John even started them on potions which he found that he seemed to have a bit of a talent for. When he brought this up to his wife she simply said that it sounded like cooking so of course he was good at it.

Finally the date for their visit to Sirius arrived. The doorbell rang early in the afternoon. John opened the door to reveal a rather cross Emily. "Hello Emily."

"Hello my arse. You both barely spoke to me for three months! Bloody hell! What is going on!?" Emily screamed giving John a hard jab in the chest venting her frustrations.

"Em, I'm sorry." John said quickly trying to minimize the damage Emily might possibly do. "Look the last few months have been rather...insane. Come in and grab a drink." John said leading her over to the couch where there was a bottle of scotch waiting.

Emily quickly downed a glass before pouring herself another to sip. This was some good scotch. "Alright, now that I'm not going to knock you down start explaining." And explain he did. John told her everything that had happened since Dumbledore's visit. It took a few hours with all the questions that Emily had for him. "Wow, you weren't kidding when you said that the last few months were insane. So you're going to visit this Sirius guy tonight?"

"Yes, but not just us, we were hoping that you would come. As you know I have my doubts about him being guilty based on that letter. I was kind of hoping you would help us. After all you are a police officer Emily."

Emily started to nod but then realized something. "Wait then who is watching the kids?" Emily asked.

"Oh there new Auntie Minnie. And yes she hates being called Auntie Minnie just as much as you hate being called Auntie Em." John said with a laugh. "Hey kids get down stairs and say hi to your Auntie." Soon after Emily saw two small boys sprint down the stairs and crash into her.

"Auntie Em!" The boys cried out.

"Hey kiddos. Did you miss your Auntie?" Both boys nodded emphatically. "Good so who is cooking dinner tonight?"

"Me!" Merlyn said. "Dad is letting me cook all on my own tonight. But he said I can't start until Aunt Minerva gets here."

"Aunt Minerva." She growled out looking directly at John and Maria who were doing an admirable job of not meeting her eyes. "Well where is Aunt Minerva?" Emily asked not taking her eyes off of the two parents.

"She should be here soon." Maria said while intently studying her glass of wine. A few minutes later the doorbell rang. "Ah, Hello Minerva." Maria greeted.

"Hello Maria. So where are you two going...Oh hello I'm sorry my name is Minerva McGonagall." She said introducing herself to Emily.

"Aunt Minerva!" The two boys shouted running to her. "Hey look what we can do now! You too Auntie Em. Come on." Each boy grabbed an Aunts hand and together they dragged them to the couch. Harry and Merlyn then went to opposite sides of the room and took out a rubber ball. "Ready,. Set. Go!" and the boys through the balls to each other. When the balls where within reach they both froze in midair. After a couple of seconds the balls began moving towards their original throwers. There was a look of intense concentration on Harry's face while Lynn was obviously pretending to have a hard time for his brothers benefit. It was rather funny since Merlyn was overdoing it. Needless to say both Emily and Minerva were very impressed. After a round of clapping and hugs of congratulation the two boys went into the kitchen for some snacks.

"Well. They seem to be progressing quite well. I would go so far as to say those two boys are prodigies." Minerva said.

"So how do we get to this Azkaban place, anyway?" Emily said wiggling her eyebrows suggestively.

Minerva's head shot over to John when he mentioned Azkaban. "John you can't be serious. Azkaban is a horrible place it is guarded by..."

"Dementors, I know. Don't worry Minerva we did our research." John interrupted while he heaved a heavy book bag onto his shoulder. "Chocolate." John told her when she raised her eye brow at the bag. "But we must be off if we are to make it to the ministry on time. We will floo to the leaky cauldron and then grab a taxi to the Ministry. We are meeting a Ms. Bones of the department of Magical Law Enforcement for transportation to Azkaban. And besides Ms. Bones will be escorting us the entire time."

"Wait right there!" Emily said in a no nonsense voice. "Do you mean to say that the bag you are holding is full of chocolate? Your chocolate?" When John nodded Emily immediately ran to the fireplace and stepped inside. "To the Leaky Cauldron!" Emily said striking a classic Peter Pan pose with her hands on her hips.

"Um, Em, that is not how the floo network works." Maria said trying her best not to laugh at her friend. John broke down and had to clutch his sides he was laughing so hard. Minerva was just starring slack jawed at this weird woman. Emily looked a little sheepish, 'Well they said you step in and say where you want to go.' Emily thought to herself. Maria simply shook her head and went over to Emily and showed her how to use the floo powder.

"Now the boys need to be in bed by ten, and don't let them have to much sugar, and no more than an hour of television, and..."

"I know John." Minerva interrupted. "Don't worry everything will be fine. Just worry about yourself. I know you do your research but dementors are foul beings just remember to think happy thoughts." Minerva added. She really liked John and he was a great friend but he was extremely smart and the problem with being so smart is that one becomes overconfident.

"Alright Minerva, have a nice night." John said then disappeared in a flash of fire. Once John felt solid ground under his feet again he opened his eyes to find a rather disoriented Emily flat on her arse. "Well having a little rest are we?" John teased Emily.

"Ha ha, very funny." Emily spat back. "You know you could of warned me that traveling via fireplace was so disorienting."

"You're right. But you were rather insistent on traveling and weren't really listening." Maria told her friend.

"Maria why don't you help out Emily while I hail a taxi." John said as he headed outside. The moment he crossed the threshold the Leaky Cauldron seemed to vanish. It didn't actually go anywhere, it was only a spell to make sure muggles didn't know it was there. John was rather glad that he memorized the exact location of the door. Although he must admit that walking into a wall was a rather odd feeling. It didn't take long for John to hail a taxi and help Emily, who was still a little out of it, into the back. Soon after they were exiting the cab on Whitehall and started heading for a telephone box. They all squeezed in the phone box and John dialed 62442. A voice then filled the box.

"Welcome to the Ministry of Magic visitors entrance. Please state your names and purpose." said the disembodied voice.

"John Ashwood, Maria Ashwood, and Emily Stalks. We are here for a meeting with Ms. Bones." John said calmly. He was very happy he thought to ask Madame Bones what to expect. There were a few clinks in the coin return and John picked up the badges and handed one to Maria and Emily. The floor then started to move downward like a lift. A minute later the doors open and the trio stepped into the grand entryway of the Ministry of Magic. "Now lets see. I believe that we head this way and take the lift." John directed shifting his bag a little. Maybe he packed too much chocolate, but from what he read about dementors they would need it. "Department of Magical Law enforcement." He said as they stepped into the lift. Everyone was unusually quiet, John and Maria out of nervousness and Emily in anticipation of the next bit of magic.

"Department of Magical Law enforcement."

"Well it looks like we are here." John said as he cautiously stepped out of the lift. He tried not to show it but he was rather nervous. There was only one woman on the floor at the moment. Perhaps the work day was over.

"Ah, hello there. I am Amelia Bones." The woman said introducing herself.

"Hello, its a pleasure to meet you. I am John Ashwood, and this is my wife Maria. And this is Emily Stalks." John said introducing everyone. "So how are we getting to Azkaban?"

"We will be taking a portkey to a secure location and then from there we will be going by boat. Unfortunately we can't portkey directly to the island due to the wards protecting the prison. Once we are there you must not leave my side until I say so or you could end up worse than dead." Amelia told the party. "Alright everyone touch the feather. Five...Four...Three...Two...One" Everyone immediately felt a tug and started spinning. The ride didn't last long before their feet came crashing to the ground and John, Maria, and Emily fell down. "Sorry I should have warned you about the landing." The trio got up and brushed themselves off. They were off the coast somewhere. Beached not ten meters away was a wooden boat. "Right well if you will all follow me the ride should only take about half an hour." Ms. Bones said addressing the party. The ride was a rather quiet affair. When they got their first look at where they were heading a feeling of dread seeped into them. Azkaban looked like a old stone prison and gave off an air of horror. "Yes I am afraid the dementors effects surround the prison due to the concentration of them." Amelia explained when she saw their reactions. "Expecto Patronum!" Amelia shouted as a brilliant glowing brown bear shot from the tip of her wand. The effect was immediate the feeling of dread was gone. "Please stay close by." Amelia told them looking at John askance as he reached into his bag but understood when he pulled out some chocolate. When Amelia bit into her bar she was astonished, the chocolate was delicious it was right up there with some of Honeydukes' best. She would have to find out where he got it.

"So shall we head on in?" John asked. Maria and Emily were not exactly keen but nodded. The entire place looked like it hadn't been touched in centuries. Which it probably hadn't. There was slime and algae covering the walls due to being surrounded by water. "So where are the dementors?" John asked while putting another piece of chocolate in his mouth.

"They are here, in fact there are three directly in front of us." Amelia answered. When she noticed the three trying to catch sight of one she added. "I'm afraid you can't see them. They're not invisible, they are however only visible to magical beings like wizards and witches." Three sets of eyes widened at this particular bit of information. "Although I must say I am impressed that you did your homework and brought along a good supply of chocolate." Amelia commended as they went deeper into the bowls of the keep. "Here we are." John looked at the metal door with interest, there were no handles and it was solid. "I had Mr. Black moved here for your visit. It is an interrogation room." With a tap of her wand the door creaked open. John slowly entered the dimly lit room. Inside was a thick wooden chair with chains all over it. And sitting on the chair wrapped in those very chains was a starved looking man with long mangled black hair.

John wasn't sure where to start. "Excuse me, would you be Sirius Black?"

 **A/N: Thanks for reading.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you.**


	10. Chapter 10: The Hogwarts Express Part 1

**A/N: First off sorry for the late update. Once again the longest chapter I have ever written and am still writing. The chapter got far too long so I am splitting it up into two chapters and even then it is still the largest chapter I've posted. I hope you like it. Enjoy.**

"Excuse me, would you be Sirius Black?" John asked the chained man.

The tattered man started to chuckle. "Who's asking?" This was new. He hadn't left his cell in near eight years. He was going to stretch this out as long as he could, and perhaps have a little fun with these investigators. He had no idea what they could want with him but he wasn't going to look a gift horse in the mouth. At least here the effect of the dementors had lessened quite a bit. While it would probably still be hitting these newcomers quite hard it almost felt as if it was almost entirely gone for Sirius.

John was glad he thought of a way to judge the mans guilt before they came and was very glad Emily was able to come. She was always able to read people."Would you please give us some time alone with Mr. Black?" John asked Ms. Bones. She looked a little wary but as they were muggles and Black was chained securely she didn't see the harm."

"Very well but be careful. Just knock on the door when you are finished." Amelia told the trio. With a nod John turned back to the prisoner as Amelia shut the door. Maria and Emily quietly took the two seats and began watching Mr. Black. Soon John's show would begin and then they would know everything they needed.

"My name is Jonathan Ashwood." John said introducing himself.

All Sirius could think was 'Oh fantastic some old pureblood came to poke fun at the last Black.' "Oh, well Mr. Ashwood I would shake your hand and offer you a drink, however," Sirius said in a mocking tone while gesturing around with his hands as his arms were chained tightly to the chair. "My current accommodations won't allow such niceties." Sirius added giving this Mr. Ashwood a mischievous smirk from behind his mop of hair.

John watched all this and had to fight to keep a smile from his face. He had read that most people go mad after a couple of years. In fact John didn't think that the man in front of him would be sane after all these years. John went to psychiatrists during the months leading up to this visit in order to pick their brains on how to recognize if someone is unbalanced. Apparently everything is conditional and determining if someone is sane is dependent on their unique situation. When John gave the psychiatrists a hypothetical problem that was rather like Azkaban he was told only that the psychiatrists didn't think anyone would remain sane after a seven year period. However it should be very obvious one way or the other. If the way Mr. Black was acting was any indication he was somehow still sane. Now for the bit he wasn't looking forward to. Time to see if he was indeed correct about this man. So with a deep breath John put his plan into action. "Mr. Black as you may or may not know it was the wish of Lily and James Potter that you become the guardian of one Harry James Potter upon their deaths." John paused for a second to make sure both Emily and Maria could get a good read. "However as you were incarcerated almost immediately after their deaths you were unable to fulfill that wish." John wished he could see Sirius's face but his job was to keep his attention and appear to be a bureaucrat simply doing his duty. "Now it is my duty to inform you of the death of one Harry James Potter."

"WHAT! NO!" Sirius screamed. He started thrashing against the chains. In a flash Emily and Maria were up and restraining Sirius so he wouldn't hurt himself. It was a good thing he was so weak from being starved otherwise the two girls might not have been able to restrain him.

John hated to continue but it needed to be done. "I am surprised that you actually care after you ratted both Lily and James out to you-know-who." John said in a calm voice to a heavily restrained but seething Sirius Black.

"I love Harry! And I never betrayed Lily and James to Voldemort!" Sirius yelled as he started to struggle harder against the chains and the two girls.

Maria was now having a rather hard time keeping the man still and knew they weren't going to win this one by only restraining him. She quickly got her arm around the man's neck and pulled tight. It only took a few seconds before the man's screaming and thrashing stopped and he slumped in the chair unconscious. "Well that went well." Maria said while catching her breath. Wrestling with Sirius had been tiring even though he was chained to a chair.

John let out his smile. "Yes I would say it has. I mean apart from you knocking him out. How long do we have before he comes around?"

"Oh I'd say about ten minutes." Emily said while checking Sirius's heartbeat. "Oh and nice one by the way." She added to Maria who chuckled.

"So what do you two think? Did he betray the Potters?" John asked. This is why the two ladies came along after all. Emily and Maria were supposed to watch Sirius's reactions to what John was saying and find out how he actually felt. They both had interrogated many criminals after all and were quite good at it.

"Well I think he is innocent. He reacted rather violently to the news of Harry's death, which would suggest that he truly cares for the boy. When you added in the bit about ratting out the Potters he tensed. I wouldn't have even noticed had it not been for the fact that we were restraining him and so was able to feel it. Now normally I would say that is a sign of guilt but instead of shutting up he became enraged. That sort of reaction while easy to fake is very difficult to fake well and with how difficult it was to keep hold of him after that I can tell you he wasn't faking." Emily told John while Maria nodded agreeing with the assessment.

"That's good to hear. Well that at least confirms my suspicions, however he was also charged with the mass murder of thirteen muggles and one wizard by the name of Peter Pettigrew." John said. "So now we need to talk to him again. I hated doing that to him but it seemed to be the best way to determine his innocence or guilt. Now lets get him up so that we can set him straight. I hope he feels forgiving." John said as they got ready to wake the man. "Here goes nothing." He said as they started to slap him lightly to wake him up. Sirius started shifting and after a few moans his head came up.

"Ugh, what happened?" asked Sirius who was still out of it. John quickly got in front of him and grabbed the man's shoulders to make sure that he had Sirius's attention.

"Harry is alive and well! Do you understand? Harry is alive and well!" John yelled at Sirius. Sirius looked at John with anger and hope. Before Sirius could allow his mind to start working well enough to really think about what had happened John started talking to keep Sirius's mind occupied. John needed to explain everything before Sirius could think enough to doubt him.

"Let me get this straight. You adopted Harry after his relatives were sent to jail. Found out about the wizarding world. Went to Gringotts and found a letter in Harry's vault. And that letter lead you to me. You then decided to determine my innocence by telling me Harry was dead. Is that about the gist of it?" Sirius asked the three.

"Yes. I hope your are not too upset but before we did anything we needed to make sure that my hunch was correct. Now before we talk anymore you need to eat." John said as he dug out a bar of chocolate and held it in front of Sirius's mouth so that he could eat as his arms were bound to the chair. "Sorry but all we have is chocolate. While it should help with the dementors I am afraid that it is not very nutritious. Now don't eat to fast or too much. It looks like they starve you." John said with disgust.

"Well they do." Sirius told them after swallowing a small mouthful of chocolate. The effect of the chocolate was immediate Sirius felt a warmth consume his body. "That has to be the best thing I've ever had. But then when you have had only gruel for the past seven years anything would taste amazing. Thank you." Sirius got out before taking another bite.

"Well I'm sorry that the only think I brought was chocolate. I promise something a lot more appetizing on my next visit." John said as Sirius was chewing and letting the chocolate melt wonderfully in his mouth. "But I am afraid I am curious about a few things can you..." John was interrupted by the sound of a knock on the door. "Damn, I was hoping for more time. Alright here just let it melt and swallow it slowly over time. We will be back as soon as possible." John told Sirius quickly as he shoveled a few pieces of chocolate in Sirius's mouth. He barely finished and got back across the room when the door opened.

"I hope you got what you needed as your time is up. We need to leave now." Amelia said to the group.

"I am afraid not. I will need to put in another visitation request as soon as we get back to the Ministry." John told her. While John was occupying Ms. Bones, Emily shot the raggedy man a warm smile and mouthed 'Hang in there.' Sirius responded with a goofy grin that made Emily giggle. Maria, who had noticed that particular exchange, was giving her friend a 'What was that?' look. Emily simply mouthed 'Later'.

The trip back to the Ministry was uneventful "So what do I need to do to schedule another visit?" John asked Ms. Bones.

"The same things you did to get this one." She replied looking at him as if he was a little slow.

"Oh, really? I thought once you were in the system it would be different." John said trying to explain his reasoning.

"Nope. Just fill out the same papers you did for this meeting." Amelia told him. "Have a good evening." With that Amelia escorted the visitors to the lift.

Everyone kept quiet as they exited the Ministry. John hailed a taxi as the two women started talking. John wasn't paying much attention, his mind was on everything he had learned tonight. First and foremost Sirius was innocent of the charges when it came to the Potters. He still didn't know about Pettigrew however. He would need to find out during his next visit. He was hoping that if the man was innocent that he could bring Harry along but until he found out more about the charges regarding Peter Pettigrew, Harry would be staying at home.

While John was lost in his thoughts the two women were in a deep conversation. "So are you alright? I mean with all of this." Maria asked gesturing all around herself.

"You mean the taxi? Sure it's not like I've never taken a taxi before." Emily responded hiding her smile as she played with her friend. Maria deserved it for keeping the whole 'our children are wizards, wizards and witches exist, Harry's godfather is a convicted murderer, oh and lets not forget that we have known this for months'. Yes Maria definitely deserved this.

"What? No! I mean with the whole..." Maria started but was interrupted by a rather loud cough from John who had apparently come out of his thoughts.

"Later." He said in a low voice. The rest of the ride had a lot of quiet tension between Emily and Maria. John just sat there hoping that the two women could at least make it to the Leaky Cauldron. In fact they did, although they looked like they were going to pop the moment they crossed the threshold. "Why don't you two grab a booth and I'll fetch us a couple of drinks." John said as he headed to the bar. 'Honestly what is going on with those two. They get like this every once in a while, but it had been so long since then I thought they grew past whatever it was. If I remember correctly the last time those two were like this was when...No. No it couldn't be. But who it seemed to start when...Oh dear God.' John thought to himself as he went up to Tom the barman. "Hello Tom."

"John, it's good to see you." Tom replied. "Please take a seat and let me know what I can get you."

"Actually I'm here with my wife and family friend. We are seated right over..." John paused as he turned around looking for the ladies, "there. I'm not really sure what she wants so why don't you just bring over three firewhiskeys, a butterbeer, and some Bungbarrel Spiced Mead. She will be able to try a little of each." John said to Tom. "It's a good thing she is a heavy drinker." John muttered under his breath as he rejoined the girls. When he got there the two were in giggling like schoolgirls. Oh no.

While John was at the bar the two women found a booth and had barely been seated for a second before Maria started again. "You know I wasn't talking about the taxi. I meant the whole wizarding world thing!" Emily couldn't take it anymore and burst out laughing.

"Alright, alright!" Emily barely got out over her laughter. After a few minutes she got it under control. "Sorry I just couldn't help myself after keeping everything from me for so long." Emily explained narrowing her eyes at Maria.

"I'm sorry but it wasn't because we didn't want to. It was because it is against the law. Well the magical law anyway. Between the law, Sirius, and the whole wizarding world we were run ragged. I'm sorry Em." Maria apologized. She really did mean it and she had missed her best friend over the past few months.

"It's fine. I might be a little hurt about you not telling me for all these months but you finally did. Besides you gave me one hell of an adventure tonight, not to mention as much of John's chocolate I can eat." Emily told her friend. "And who can forget that rather dashing prisoner." She whispered leaning towards Maria conspiratorially. Maria's eyes bulged.

"I knew it!" Maria quietly exclaimed. "But what on earth? Why?"

"Oh come on Maria. I know you've been married for a while but you should still be able to recognize a handsome man when you see one." Emily jibbed playfully. "And besides didn't you notice how strong he was even after being starved. And the way he fought when he heard that Harry was dead, that kind of love is actually quite romantic. God the guy is the whole package, too bad he's locked up." Emily started going on her voice becoming dreamier by the second but looked down with disappointment at the end.

Maria was astounded, Emily had always been a bit of a tomboy. Never seeming to like romance or anything that was considered girly for that matter. In fact her last relationship ended over four years ago when she decided that she didn't like being the man in the relationship. Since then no man had been brave enough to even try. Maria couldn't stop the giggles that came now. "I can't believe it. For a woman who has sworn off men to fall for a convicted mass murderer!"

"Hey! Didn't we just prove that he is innocent! And besides I only swore off of pathetic men and you took the only non pathetic man that I know. Well...knew." Emily said excitedly trying to keep her smile from splitting her face in two. "Can you really blame me. And besides aren't we going to prove his innocence and get him out of there. We are getting him out right?" Emily asked with a bit of anxiety. First and foremost this was Harry's godfather. Second he was innocent. And third he was cute!

"Well we still need to see about the mass murder charge. But if he is innocent of that as well then absolutely we will do our best to get him out." Maria said aghast that Emily would think that there was even a possibility they would leave an innocent man in prison. "At the very least we would get him out so you can finally get a date." Maria joked as both girls burst into giggles just as John sat down next to them.

"Alright, please tell me that I'm reading this wrong." John begged. Maria and Emily just giggled harder. A few moments later the drinks arrived ending the girls giggles.

"Well there is quite a lot of booze John. Are we throwing a party?" Emily asked eyes wide.

"Actually I wasn't sure what you would like so I covered my bases. Consider it an apology for not keeping you in the loop for the past few months." John answered. He did actually feel bad forgetting about her but with everything going on Emily took a back seat. Time to fix his mistake.

"First all the chocolate I can eat, and now showering me with alcohol. It is a good start." Emily said as she picked up the butterbeer and gave it a sip. It was good. Really good. She quickly downed the drink ready to try the next one.

"And don't forget we just got through introducing you to your future husband." Maria added. 'I knew it. Somehow I just knew it.' John thought as his head dropped.

"Alright, your forgiven...once you hand over the rest of that chocolate. And what is this?" She asked putting down her now empty butterbeer.

"That would be butterbeer." John said as he passed the bag full of chocolate over to Emily.

"It is my new favorite drink. Now what are these?" She asked accepting the bag.

"Well this one is spiced mead, and the other is firewhiskey." Maria told her friend taking a sip of her own firewhiskey. Emily picked up the mead and gave it a little sip. It wasn't bad but she liked her drinks with a bit more of a kick. She just put it back down and picked up the firewhiskey. The instant she sipped the golden liquid she felt a burning sensation going down her throat and then a warmth spread out over her entire body. Now this was a drink!

"Whoa! Now this I like! You're paying right John?" Emily asked and got a nod in return. With a wry smile she got up and went over to the bar. When she came back she had two bottles of the firewhiskey. John simply lowered his face into his hands as he shook his head.

"Alright I think it's about time to head back home." John said as he watched Emily put the two bottles in the bag with the chocolate. "Maria why don't you and Emily floo home while I pay the bill. I'll be home soon." He told his wife giving her a peck on the cheek.

The next few months seemed to fly by. The kids homeschooling was going extremely well. Maria had taken over the basic classes like math and science so that John had more time to study the subjects of potions and magic. Now as it turned out creating potions is basically just cooking with magical ingredients. Although if you screw up then the concoction might explode rather than just have a bad taste. A lesson John learned the hard way. Fortunately the cauldron only melted instead of blowing up. From then on it was determined that all potion making would be done outside. After that first unfortunate accident John had taken to potions like a fish to water. There were of course a few hiccups here and there, but the largest problem that John ran into were his prankster sons. Since all of the potions that he would be working on were relatively harmless Harry and Merlyn thought they would be the perfect tools for pranks. After the pink and purple hair indecent John and Maria decided they needed to have a talk with the kids.

"Boys come down stairs we need to have a talk!" Maria shouted up the stairway. The kids knew they were in trouble. Their mom doesn't really get mad but when she does you need to run. "Now kids we haven't punished you before for your pranks, but that is about to change." The two brothers eyes went wide. They loved their pranking. "Now here are the new rules. No prank can have effects that last longer than half an hour. We cannot catch you performing the prank. And finally you are not allowed to use any of your fathers potions." With each new rule the boys mouths dropped more and more. This is not what they were expecting. Maria looked at her two boys and smiled, all her anger gone. She really did love her kids, their pranks were always funny. The only reason she came down on them this time was because the potion that they chose to use permanently changed her hair color to pink. John was currently in the back yard, with his purple hair, trying to find a way to turn their hair back.

That was life for the Ashwoods. Soon the date for their next visit to Azkaban arrived. "John do you have everything? You know that they will be here soon."

"I know. Everything is ready to go once Minerva and Emily get here." John called out from the kitchen. This time he wasn't only taking chocolate. He had also made a nutrient potion the other day just for Sirius, and yesterday he cooked a chicken for him. After reading up on how to help people with anorexia and bulimia. He wanted to know what was needed for people who's stomach had shrunk due to the fact that Sirius's had because of starvation. So no starch. Meat and veggies only. Right as he was finishing his packing the doorbell rang.

The trip to Azkaban went just as it did the first time. This time however it was not Ms. Bones that took them to Azkaban but a Mr. Brown. He was quiet for the entire boat ride and didn't even create a patronus until after they landed on the island. Needless to say a decent amount of chocolate was consumed on the boat. When they asked if they could be alone with the prisoner he allowed it. You know it is amazing what you can get away with when you are a muggle in the wizarding world. No one ever expects you to do anything or rather they don't expect you to be able to do anything. Not that they were complaining.

"Well you look like shit Sirius." John said with a grin.

"Well that's a pity. Will it ruin our date then?" Sirius asked playfully back. His eyebrows raised when he heard a few clinks coming from John's bag. "You brought me a present? Oh, you shouldn't have." He made a show of looking around the room as if just noticing the horrid conditions. "But then again..." he let out with a chuckle.

"Oh shut up and eat. We only have a half hour. I swear six hours of paperwork for only a half hour visit is ridiculous." John complained as he pulled out the chicken. "Now how are we going to do this?" John asked wondering just how Sirius was going to eat the chicken. He obviously knew what he would do but he wanted Sirius to be able to at least choose how he was going to be fed.

"Well you could always sit on my lap and feed me." Sirius suggested with grin. However the grin left his face immediately when Emily grabbed the chicken and plopped onto his lap.

"Alrighty big boy time for you to eat your dinner." Emily said as she sat on his lap and started to tear off a piece of chicken. Sirius was about to say something but the moment his mouth opened to speak Emily shoved a piece of chicken in. "No, no, no, eat now talk later. Got it?" Sirius's answer was to open his mouth for another piece of chicken. Just as he was about to take the next piece Emily decided to have some fun and wiggled her butt on Sirius's lap. His eyes went up to hers and when she gave him a flirtatious smile Sirius gave her a mischievous grin letting her know he was not going to loose this little game.

With all the flirting it took a little longer to finish the chicken then John would have liked. "Alright, alright that is enough. You two can go at it again next week we are currently running out of time." John said admonishing the two in front of him. Emily slowly got off of Sirius, which Sirius seemed to enjoy. "Sirius before we do anything else I need you to tell us what happened with Pettigrew and all those muggles you were accused of killing." Sirius's winks and smiles went away in the blink of an eye.

"Well that's simple Peter was Lily and James's secret keeper." Sirius said as if that should of explained everything. For John it did but Maria and Emily were lost so Sirius continued. "He was the only one who could have sold out the Potters to Voldemort." A look of understanding showed on Maria and Emily's faces. "So I hunted him down and attempted to kill him. But he had used brains that I never knew he had. The moment I backed him into a corner he shouted out how I betrayed Lily and James. He then pointed his wand from behind his back and blew up the street killing all those people. He cut off his finger and turned into a rat." At the others surprised looks Sirius explained. "Some wizards can become animals at will. It is a lengthy process and to long and complicated to go into now. But the Ministry makes you register if you become an animagus. Lets just say Peter never did. And I have no idea where he is or I wouldn't be in here now." This news made John smile. Finally he knew that Harry's godfather was entirely innocent.

"Thank you. Now I don't know how much time we have left so quickly swallow this." John said pulling out one of the vials of potion. "It's a nutrients potion." Sirius gulped down the potion with a grimace.

"You would think that after all these centuries we could make potions taste better." Sirius complained. "Thank you." Sirius said. He hadn't received treatment like this in over seven years. "Can I ask you for a favor?" John nodded. "I'd like to see my godson." Sirius said pleadingly.

"Well I was actually planning on bringing him next week but I have to tell you the guy who brought us here this time only cast a patronus once we reached the island. I believe that you are innocent and I want Harry to meet his godfather but what kind of father would I be if I brought him here and let him relive his worst memories." John explained. Sirius looked disappointed but not only did he understand, he agreed with John. "However if we can arrange for Ms. Bones to be our escort then I'll bring him." Sirius's face lit up. He was going to see his godson again. "Now before we leave we need to hide these on you." John said becoming serious as he pulled out four more tubes of nutrient potions. "Do they search you before you go back to your cell?"

"They didn't last time. I think it's because you are muggles. Wizarding arrogance if you ask me but I'm not about to complain." Sirius said while shaking his head.

"Good. Then we can give you some chocolate as well. Don't eat it all at once. We will be back next week so make sure to take that potion once a day. Don't let them see the vials, just keep them hidden and we can switch them out during our next visit." Not long after they got everything situated there came a knock. It was time to go. "See you in a week."

"Don't I get a kiss?" Sirius asked, flirting one last time with Emily.

"Nope, you're not my type. Too skinny. You know you should eat more." She flirted back. Giving his hand one last squeeze she headed toward the door.

The weeks seemed to fly by. When it came to schooling Harry and Merlyn began to throw themselves into their studying, well at least when it came to their magic and potions classes. After all they weren't allowed to use their dad's potions in their pranks anymore, and potions made pranks so much better. When it came to Sirius, John tried to request Ms. Bones as their escort but no matter which way he worded the request or whatever forms he filled out it never happened. Eventually John got fed up with the ministry paperwork and decided to write directly to Ms. Bones to ask that she meet him at the Leaky Cauldron. So now we find John sitting at the bar in the Leaky Cauldron waiting for Ms. Bones to arrive. He was a little early so wasn't disappointed that Ms. Bones was not there yet. Right when the clock on the wall chimed John saw Ms. Bones come out of a bright green fire. He immediately got up and went over to her with two glasses of firewhiskey.

"Ms. Bones thank you for meeting with me." John greeted gesturing towards a booth.

"It's quite alright. I must admit a was a little surprised at your letter. What can I do for you?"

"Well there a couple of matters that I wish to discuss with you. First of which is my next visit to Azkaban. You see all of our visits apart from our first with you have been rather nasty due to the fact that our escorts don't cast a patronus until we reach the island, and I must say that because of that the boat rides to the island have been horrid."

"I can understand your feelings Mr. Ashwood but your escorts are following protocol. They are only required to use a patronus while on the island, so I do not see what I can do." Amelia said trying not to just blow Mr. Ashwood off, but really what did he expect her to do? After all visits to Azkaban are rare and before Mr. Ashwood no one had made so many regular visits to the prison.

"Well normally I wouldn't mind a little discomfort but I wish to take my son on our next visit." John said shocking Amelia. Merlin's beard, why would anyone want to take a child to that place? "You see my son's godfather is there." John told her.

It took a few minutes for Amelia to shake off her shock. "Sirius Black?" John nodded. "I was unaware you had named him your son's godfather. But I must ask why did you? I mean he is a mass murderer!?"

John smiled and shook his head. "No Ms. Bones he is not. Also I was not the one who named him as my son's godfather. My son's biological parent's did before they were murdered."

"Just who is your son?"

"His name is Harry Potter. Although we haven't brought it up with him yet. That is why we have been visiting Mr. Black regularly. I am quite convinced that Mr. Black is completely innocent of the charges for which he was incarcerated."

Amelia just shook her head at the muggle. "And how, may I ask, did you come to that conclusion?"

"Well in fact I had no knowledge of him until a short while after we adopted Harry. When we were introduced to the wizarding world we went to Gringotts and found that Harry had a vault. When we visited the vault I found a letter written by the Potter's addressed to their son in case of their demise. After reading the letter I set out to find Mr. Black to find out how he could have given Harry to those horrible relatives of his." Amelia had a perplexed look on her face as John continued. "When I found out what had become of Mr. Black and why he was incarcerated I went back to the letter and found that something wasn't sitting right with me. So I went to go and talk with Sirius at Azkaban." John then continued to explain what had occurred during his first and subsequent visits. As he continued Amelia's look of shock became more and more pronounced. "We have been trying to find evidence that would exonerate him. Now while we found the transcripts of his trial and realized that at the very least we could get a retrial based on the way his first one was carried out it would do no good as everyone believes him guilty and we haven't been able to find enough evidence to potentially change the verdict." John finished a little depressed.

"What do you mean? How was the original trial conducted?" Amelia asked. Now she had heard many people claim that their friends or relatives were innocent but none had actually tried to do anything about it apart from making complaints. The fact that she believed John to be an intelligent man added to her curiosity.

"Well first off Sirius was not even present for the trial. In addition there was no defense offered for him. In fact the only things that were brought forward were the few witness statements from muggles." Amelia was shocked, John wasn't kidding when he said that he could get a retrial for Sirius. "Honestly it is sad but all we have at this point is Sirius's testimony and lack of any motive. Well in the case of Pettigrew he has plenty of motive but he also says that Pettigrew is still alive so no case of murder exists. You know it is a shame that there isn't a spell or potion that could verify he is telling the truth."

Amelia didn't know what to say. There were of course a few ways to verify a statement. One was of course veritaserum, another was by the use of a pensieve. Both were rather hard to come by. Pensieves were simply a rarity and quite expensive if you were able to find one. Veritaserum was a restricted potion, only a handful of people actually knew how to make it and then it was always kept under lock and key. Finding someone who had a pensieve and would willingly let it be used by another while unlikely was the best way to go. The Ministry would never allow the use of its stock of veritaserum on a convicted murderer. It was only used to determine guilt in extreme circumstances. "There are a few ways. One is a potion called veritaserum, and the other is to use a device known as a pensieve, it is used to view memories.

"What!?" John exclaimed. "Why haven't I heard about these before? I mean I understand the pensieve as I've only been looking into spells and potions but what about veritaserum?"

"The Ministry has labeled veritaserum as a restricted potion and so knowledge of it isn't widely known. Any book containing information about it is also restricted. So you wouldn't find it in Flourish and Blotts. Now can you tell me what made you think Mr. Black was innocent in the first place?"

"Well I only had a feeling he was innocent of betraying the Potters. I didn't know about the mass murder but I figured that if he was innocent of one he would be innocent of the other." John then told Amelia about the contents of the letter, just the parts mentioning Sirius. "So you see if Sirius was going to betray the Potters then why would he have put the letter in the vault. No one else knew of the letter so if it was missing it wouldn't of mattered. There would have literally been no point to going to the Potter vault. Then of course if he was intending to betray the Potters then going to their vault a few days before they died would have raised suspicion if he had been able to get away." Amelia had to admit that John made valid points.

"I need to see to a few things but if everything pans out I can arrange to be your escort from now on." She didn't want to mention that if what she had in mind worked then Sirius would be a free man. That is of course he was innocent.

"Thank you. I guess that we will see you this weekend." John said his goodbye and walked to the fireplace.

"Thank you for meeting with me Dumbledore." Amelia said as she stood motioning to the chair on the other side of her desk.

"No trouble of course. Although I am interested in why you asked me to bring my pensieve." Dumbledore said as he took the offered seat.

"I believe that there may have been a miscarriage of justice. I either needed a pensieve or veritaserum and to be honest this was the easier route." At Dumbledore's nod she continued. "I believe that a Mr. Black has been unjustly sentenced to Azkaban." This took Dumbledore by surprise. He after all was a witness at his trial and spoke against him. Sirius was after all the Potter's secret keeper. But he knew Amelia Bones well, she was not stupid so there must be a reason she believes this. "Would you come with me to hear his statement?"

"Very well. But I must admit that I don't believe this will change anything." Dumbledore noted.

"I understand and I must admit that I wouldn't even be considering this if it wasn't for an interesting conversation I had the other day with a Mr. Ashwood." Dumbledore was now fully attentive as Amelia informed him about everything that Mr. Ashwood had told her at the Leaky Cauldron. "So as you can see this is a new point of view that I believe is at least worth looking into." Dumbledore was astounded. This didn't make since at all. James was adamant about Sirius being his secret keeper. But if this was true then why didn't the Potters inform him. He was the head of the order after all and even offered himself to be their secret keeper. Did they not trust him? No thoughts like that were for later. Now was the time to either confirm what he believed to be the truth or to find what truly happened.

"Lead the way Ms. Bones."

A mere half hour later both Amelia and Albus were opening the door to the interrogation room to find a chained Sirius Black. The moment the door started to open they heard Sirius's voice. "Ah I knew you couldn't stay away." His voice was jolly as was the look on his face, that is until he spotted who his visitors were. He immediately became quiet and withdrawn. "Ah, I'm sorry I was expecting someone else. So what can I do for my jailer today?" Sirius asked with a sneer. This turned from a pleasant surprise to an unwelcome one in an instant.

"Mr. Black some information has been brought to my attention that you may well be innocent of the charges you were incarcerated for. We are here today to give you a chance to prove your innocence." Sirius was stunned. This had John written all over it but why didn't he ever tell him that he was working on a way to free him? "Albus Dumbledore has consented to the use of his pensieve during this interrogation. Now all we need are certain memories from you. Do you consent to us viewing your memories using this pensieve?" Sirius nodded. It was not like they could do anything worse as they had already sentenced him. "Very well. We will now extract any memories you wish to give regarding the fidelius charm used on the Potters as well as any that have to do with their choice of secret keeper." The process took a few minutes. "Now we will extract your memories regarding the charges of mass murder and Peter Pettigrew." Once again the process took some time. Extracting ones own memories was not difficult however extracting someone else's needed to be done with care. It could not be done with an unwilling subject but accidents are more likely to happen. Soon enough the pensieve had all the memories. "Thank you for your cooperation. If you will please wait while we examine your memories." Amelia said as she leaned over the pensieve with Dumbledore doing so moments later.

Amelia felt like she was falling into another world. What an interesting sensation. When she looked up she found Dumbledore right beside her. They nodded to one another and watched the scene unfold in front of them.

A much younger Sirius Black was currently walking up to a house in Godric's Hollow. Once he arrived and knocked on the door it opened to see a rather run down looking James Potter. "Sirius!" James whispered happily. "What are you doing here you know the charm wont be ready to cast until tomorrow?"

"I know. That is what I wanted to talk to you about." Sirius said seriously.

"Well don't stand there come on in but please be quiet. Harry just fell asleep." James said. Sirius followed James inside and locked the door. "Well don't just keep quiet is something the matter?"

"I think you should use Peter." Sirius told his best friend. As James was about to object Sirius cut him off. "Look I know you want me to be the secret keeper and I'm honored but I have been doing a lot of thinking. Everyone expects you to choose me. Now I will gladly give up my life to keep you safe and you know it but Voldemort has many ways of extracting information. And when they get their hands on me he will do whatever his twisted mind can think of to get the information. Hell I wouldn't be surprised if he had a potions master make him some veritaserum." At this James looked thoughtful. It was a logical argument. But Voldemort could do the same with any secret keeper and he told Sirius as much. "I know don't you think I've thought of that? Look I think it would be better to use Peter because no one would ever think you would use him. If we keep who your secret keeper is a secret then they won't be able to get the person who can tell them in the first place."

James sat down and poured them each a drink as he thought about Sirius's plan. He couldn't fault it. True Peter was his good friend but he trusted Sirius more than anyone. "You really think this is the best way to go?" James asked his eyes glued to his drink.

"Yes." Sirius said not taking his eye's off his own.

"Alright. I'll let Lily know when she wakes up. She's currently sleeping with Harry."

The memory faded as a new one took its place. Albus and Amelia are once again outside watching Sirius Black standing across the street from a few houses. However the Potters house was no where to be seen. The fidelius charm had obviously been cast. This at least proved that Sirius was not the secret keeper. After a couple of moments Peter Pettigrew appeared out of thin air and walked over to Sirius. Peter walked right up to Sirius and started to whisper in his ear. As soon as Pettigrew pulled away the Potter's cottage seemed to push the other two properties out of the way as it sprung into existence. The memory then faded. "Well I believe that confirms that Sirius Black was not the Potter's secret keeper." Amelia said and Dumbledore couldn't help but agree.

A new memory faded into existence. They were standing in the middle of a muggle town. They saw a scared looking Peter Pettigrew running away from a furious Sirius. "You're not getting away from me you bloody rat!" Sirius cornered Peter and began to stride menacingly towards him. "I've got you now you piece of filth." Sirius said softly.

Just as Sirius was a few meters away Peter started shouting "Sirius how could you betray Lily and James!" As he was shouting he pointed his wand behind his back and uttered a spell that tore up the street and killed a bunch of muggles. Amelia couldn't take her eye's off of what was occurring right in front of her and it was a good thing she didn't as she saw Peter cut off his own finger and transform into a rat which ran into the sewers.

"I think it is time to leave." Amelia blinked and when she opened her eyes she was back in the interrogation room. "Dumbledore I know this is sudden but as chief warlock you do have the authority to call an emergency meeting of the Wizengamot."

Dumbledore nodded and began to leave before turning back to a still angry Sirius. "I know that I do not deserve any forgiveness from you Sirius. But I am sorry."

"You have a lot to answer for Dumbledore." Stated Sirius. "Not for this. John told me what you did to my godson. You may not need forgiveness for this as you truly believed I was the secret keeper but for what you did to Harry there is no forgiveness." Sirius told the chief warlock coldly.

"Yes I have no doubt I will be making a good many apologies this week."

"Mr. Black I wish to convey to you my apologies for this serious miscarriage of justice. Now the Wizengamot will not be able to meet until tomorrow but for now I have the authority to at least move you to a holding cell at the Ministry.

A few days later we find John, Maria, and Harry walking into the Department of Magical Law Enforcement. John looked for Ms. Bones but couldn't see her anywhere. He walked up to who appeared to be a secretary. "Excuse me we are here to meet with Ms. Bones."

"Oh, you must be the Ashwoods." At a nod from John she continued. "I am sorry but Ms. Bones is currently unavailable. She did say that she was expecting you and if she had not returned to allow you to wait in her office." The secretary finished gesturing to a door with a placard that read 'Amelia Bones'.

"Thank you." John said as he took his family into the office. The family all took a seat as they anxiously waited for Madame Bones. The long minutes turned into an hour. Harry was beginning to feel a little uneasy. Earlier his parents had sat both Merlyn and him down and explained about Sirius. Harry was very nervous about meeting his godfather. His father told him that the only reason he was in prison and that Sirius loved him very much but it didn't really help all that much. Merlyn really wanted to come but they only had three visitor passes. Finally the door opened and in came Ms. Bones and to the surprise of the Ashwood patriarchs, Sirius.

Once everyone had settled down Amelia began to explain what had occurred after her meeting with John at the Leaky Cauldron. She had indeed gotten Sirius a retrial on the basis that his original one had been irregular to say the least. The new trial had lasted two days and had only just ended. John and Maria were both shocked that Dumbledore was involved and even more so that he was the reason Sirius was found innocent. Dumbledore hadn't exactly made the best impression on them so far. Harry was starring at his godfather the entire time and Sirius was starring right back. John and Maria were very glad at that moment they had smuggled in food and nutrient potions to Sirius. He had put on some weight, although not back to his former glory he looked a damn sight better than he had on their first visit. After the explanations were over Sirius got up and went to his godson. "Hello Harry. Do you know who I am?"

"You're my godfather, Sirius Black." Harry answered shyly. He didn't really know what to do or what to say.

"That's right." Sirius said as he knelt down in front of Harry. "The last time I saw you, you were only a year old. I've missed you Harry." Sirius said trying to keep talking but was having trouble finding the words. Right here in front of him was his godson, a boy he loved as much as if he was his own. "I would like for us to get to know each other. Would that be alright?" Sirius asked more nervous in that moment then he thought he had ever been in his entire life. Harry couldn't find his voice and just nodded toward the man.

During all of this John and Maria were sharing the same thought, 'What do we do now?' "Um Sirius do you have a place to stay?" Maria asked tentatively.

"Not exactly. There is the old family home but no one has been there for a long time. A lot longer than I was in Azkaban. But I've got money so for now I will take a room at the Leaky Cauldron." Sirius told them still not entirely believing this was all happening.

"Nonsense." John stated. "You can stay with us." Maria's and Sirius's mouths dropped. John quickly continued, "It will be easier than you getting a room and it will give you and Harry more time to get reacquainted. Are you alright with that Harry?" Harry wasn't sure. He didn't remember the man at all but he trusted his parents so he nodded still not able to find his voice. The group soon left the Ministry and headed home. The trip home was exciting at least for Sirius and Harry. John and Maria weren't sure what to say so they opted to stay silent in the cab. Over the last few months John and Maria had filled him in on Harry's life so far but he still had many questions. It didn't take long for the two to start reconnecting. A few questions here, a few jokes there and Harry was smiling and laughing right alongside his godfather. By the time they arrived at the Leaky Cauldron Harry was very happy that Sirius was coming to live with them. "Harry why don't you floo home and let your brother and Emily know about what happened. We need to talk to Sirius for a moment and will floo home soon." Harry nodded and headed toward the fireplace but stopped before he stepped in and turned around. He ran over to Sirius and gave him a hug. Sirius was stunned and doing his best not to cry as he returned the tight hug. After Harry flooed home John turned to Sirius. He was about to ask Sirius a question but was interrupted by a hug from said man.

"Thank you. For getting me out. I know it was Bones and Dumbledore that did the deed but I also know they wouldn't have done any of it had you not talked to Amelia in the first place."

John chuckled once he regained his wits. "It was nothing Sirius. But there is something I wanted to talk to you about." John said as he led Sirius and Maria to a table. "What do you plan to do about Harry? I know you are his godfather but he is my son and, as good a man as I think you are, I will not give up my son without a fight." John said in a tone that showed just how serious he was.

Sirius looked thoughtful. He often imagined getting out and being a true godfather to Harry but could he really in good conscious take Harry away from these people. After all not only did they save him from Azkaban but more importantly saved Harry from the Dursleys and gave him a loving family. No, he couldn't. "As much as I wish I could be his father he already has a damn good one so no. I won't try to take him away from you. But after I get back on my feet I hope that you will still let me visit him."

John could not find a single fault in the man. Over the past few months as he has been visiting Sirius in Azkaban he found that he rather liked the man. Now he knew just how much he cared for his son. John decided to have a little fun with his son's godfather. He looked right at Sirius with his most serious face and said "If you so much as stay away for longer than three days we will have a problem. You will always be welcome at our house." Towards the end he couldn't help but smile and Sirius grinned right along with him happy to know that he would always have access to his godson. "Now that that is taken care of lets go home. I have a feeling we shouldn't wait to much longer or Emily will be rather cross." At the mention of Emily Sirius perked up.

"Emily is waiting? Tell you what I think I'll stick around in Diagon Alley for a little bit and floo over in about an hour. Do you think I've filled out enough?" Sirius asked.

Maria laughed as she watched the free man looking himself over. It was like he was getting ready for his first date. Which he just might be now that she thought of it. "I don't know but you better not take to long." The moment she finished Sirius gave a salute and ran to the alley to do some shopping. "Come on lets go home. I think Emily will be going stir crazy by now."

When Maria and John walked out of the fireplace they found their kids waiting for them. But funnily enough no Emily. "Where is Auntie Em?" Maria asked.

"She said she was going to take a shower." Lynn said.

Almost an hour later Emily was waiting in the living room while the rest of the family was in the kitchen preparing dinner. Well the boys were, Maria just watched. They wanted to give Emily and Sirius some time to themselves. Over the past few months Emily and Sirius had grown rather close. She even filled out the paperwork so that she could visit more often. Lately she had been going twice a week in addition to going with John and Maria. Nothing more than flirting ever happened. Most of the time she and Sirius just talked until she was forced to leave. Maria would claim that this was the most she had ever dated a man and that in order to get it the man had to be chained to a chair. What shocked Maria the most was that Emily would never rise to the bait.

Sirius was now back in the Leaky Cauldron checking over his appearance. 'Well it is now or never.' Sirius thought as he stepped into the fireplace. A flash of green fire later and he was walking into the Ashwoods living room. The moment Sirius emerged in the Ashwoods living room he saw Emily standing right in front of him. Before he could even utter a single word Emily wrapped her arms around his neck and crushed his lips to hers. Sirius's world exploded. He reciprocated with all the passion that had been building up ever since he met her all those months ago. It took a couple of minutes before the two ended the kiss so they could breathe but staying in each others arms. "If that is the welcome I will always receive I think I might just go back to Azkaban for a while just so I can get released again."

Emily moved her hand to the back of his head and grabbed Sirius's hair. "Don't you dare." Emily breathed out as she brought his head down and into another passionate kiss.

"Yes ma'am." Sirius breathed still dizzy after that kiss. "I take it I've filled out enough for you then?" Sirius asked giving her a roguish grin.

"No. You simply are taking to long." Emily quipped right back as she laid her head on his chest and held him. "But I'm not too worried about it. Spend a few weeks eating John's food and you should look passable."

"I think we can arrange that." Said a voice coming from the kitchen doorway. "You know this isn't exactly what I pictured when you said you wanted to welcome Sirius. I thought you would have beaten him to a pulp for taking so long to get out." John said laughing.

"Oh don't worry about that. He'll get his beating later." Emily said before giving Sirius a quick peck on the cheek.

"Well come on you two dinner is ready." John told them.

"We'll be there in a second." Emily told him before turning back to Sirius.

"So I take it that I don't get to take you out to dinner tonight. That is disappointing after all the work I did to make myself presentable for you." Sirius said with that roguish grin still plastered on his face.

"Well if you play your cards right I might just take you out for some dessert." Emily said in a soft sultry voice. Sirius was ready for dinner to be over. Emily grabbed his hand and led him to the kitchen. "You better eat plenty by the way."

The dinner started off quiet but quickly turned into a roaring party. Everyone was having a great time. Merlyn wasn't sure what to think of Sirius. He of course was told about what happened by his brother but still wasn't sure. It didn't take long for him to warm up to Sirius once he started sharing some stories about Hogwarts. Most of the stories seemed to stem around the Marauders and their pranks but he also threw in a couple of James's attempts to woo Lily. By the time the party came to an end it was the wee hours in the morning. The kids had already fallen asleep and were carried up to their room. At the end of the evening Emily took Sirius's arm and led him to the door before telling her friends that she would return him tomorrow.

The next few weeks seemed to fly by for the Ashwoods. John continued teaching the kids potions and magical theory but Sirius started joining in after the first few days. He started actually teaching the kids magic as well as giving them some ideas for pranks. As Sirius loved to play practical jokes almost as much as the kids they soon soared to new heights in pranking. Apparently John had misunderstood a small bit about the trace. Apparently the trace was activated once a witch or wizard was born but all children under the age of eleven were exempt. It didn't change anything but John resolved to be more attentive when reading about the wizarding laws. Who knows when a small thing like this will give him a loophole to exploit. It didn't take long for Sirius to suggest that Harry and Merlyn should go on ahead and get their wands. While it was normally difficult to perform wandless magic Merlyn seemed to be able to do it quite easily and while Harry could do it wandless magic seemed to take a lot out of him. Their trip to Diagon Alley to get the kids wands was a bit of an adventure in itself. When they got to Ollivander's Harry went first and it took him trying almost ever wand in the shop before he found his match. It came as quiet a shock to everyone when Ollivander revealed that the Voldemort's wand shared a core with his. Merlyn took even longer as not a single wand seemed to 'Choose' him as Ollivander put it. In the end Ollivander, who for some reason was overjoyed that not a single wand worked, said that he would have to make Merlyn's from scratch. It took almost an hour for Ollivander to get all the measurements he needed not to mention a small blood sample so that he could find the correct core. He told them to come back in a few days and the wand should be ready. When they returned a few days later they found Ollivander practically bouncing off the walls in anticipation. He didn't even say a word as he held the newly crafted wand out for Merlyn. When Merlyn grasped the wand he felt a tingling sensation running up his arm and engulf his body. The tip of the wand began emitting profound amounts of dense grey smoke. The smoke then began to flow down and surround Merlyn's feet. At this point Ollivander was jumping around in celebration.

"YES! I knew it. I knew it." Ollivander shouted as he ran around Merlyn examining the smoke.

"What is it?" A rather disgruntled John asked. The man gave him the creeps and he didn't really think this sort of reaction from the man could bode well.

"This is incredible! Twelve inch English oak. Fantastic." Ollivander continued on. Sirius noticed that he never said what the core was.

"So what was the core?" Sirius asked a little curious himself.

"Nothing!" Ollivander shouted with glee. "There is no core. Young Merlyn's blood didn't resonate with any known core. Fascinating." Ollivander continued. "I must say this is a first for me." He said finally seeming to regain his composure but only just. "Wands haven't been made out of solid wood in centuries! I am amazed. There is some old blood in you I'd wager." He told a confused Merlyn. John and Sirius were stunned. After they left the shop they figured that it didn't matter as long as it worked and with Ollivander's assurance that this was indeed the wand for Merlyn it seemed to be fine.

The wands ended up making quite a large impact on the Ashwood family as they made the kids magic flourish. It was so much easier for them to do magic. Sirius started teaching them the first year Hogwarts curriculum. The two boys took to it like water, Sirius attributed their prodigal talent to John's lessons. Over the next year they continued to learn and progress. John had, with help from Sirius, had progressed to NEWT level potions. The two kids of course were still on their level one curriculum. The teaching there went a little slow as they still had their normal classes with Maria. Sirius was now living with Emily and had promptly got their house put on the floo network. Although one would wonder why as both he and Emily had come to practically live at the Ashwood's residence. On Harry's next birthday Sirius had surprised both Harry and Merlyn with their very own brooms. John and Maria were a little hesitant about letting the kids fly around but Sirius said it would be a crime if James and Lily's son wasn't allowed to fly. Sirius had put up a few wards around an acre in their back yard so that the muggles wouldn't see them as well as adding some cushioning charms, just in case. Harry of course was a natural. Merlyn on the other hand was a bit more hesitant to go flying around on a broom. It took some coaxing from Harry but he did eventually give it a try. Merlyn soon fell in love with flying. While he wasn't a natural he was still pretty good for a nine year old. Sirius assured him that with practice he would be just as good as Harry. In fact seeing how much their kids liked to fly it wasn't long afterwards that John, Maria, and Emily each had a broom of their own.

The next two years went by in a flash. It was a week before Harry's eleventh birthday that we find everyone sitting around the living room watching the two little wizards in a mock duel each trying to turn the others clothes pink. As soon as the kids created this little game television soon became a thing of the past. A knock at the door broke their concentration and both failed to dodge the others color changing charm. Maria quickly got up and answered the door. She returned a short while later with a cheerful Minerva on her heels. A loud cry of 'Aunt Minerva' preceded the two eleven year old's tackled her.

"And how are my two favorite young wizards doing today?"

"We're great Aunt Minerva!"

"Well I just stopped by to drop off your Hogwarts letters." She said handing both of them their letters. "Now I expect great things from you at school, understand."

"Yes ma'am." Came their reply.

"I heard about the transfiguration professor." Sirius said. "Have you found a replacement yet?"

"In a way. This was one of the things I wanted to talk to you about. I wanted to let you know first that I am stepping down as Headmistress." Everyone was silent at this piece of news. "I will be returning to my previous post."

"But why?" John asked incredulously.

"Honestly I wanted to for the past year. I simply don't enjoy being headmistress anywhere near as much as I enjoyed teaching. But now I have to find someone to replace me. I was thinking that since you and Albus came to an understanding I would offer him the post but I wanted to get your approval before I sent my recommendation to the board of governors."

The Ashwoods didn't really know what to say. They still remember when he came by shortly after Sirius's release from Azkaban.

It had only been a few days since Sirius's release when a knock came from the door. When Maria opened it she was shocked and infuriated to find Albus Dumbledore. "What are you doing here. Get off our land! Now!" She yelled

"I am only here to apologize." Dumbledore stated calmly. "May I come in I promise that I only wish to explain my actions and beg forgiveness in regards to my previous visit." At Maria's curt nod he entered and Maria showed him to the living room. Maria simply lifted an eyebrow as if saying 'Well, start explaining.' "I am afraid it is a rather long story." Dumbledore began, he didn't really want to give out this information but if he ever wanted access to the young Potter he would have to. He began telling Maria about the last great war. He made sure to stress just how bad everything was and eventually told her the prophecy. After telling her about the blood wards around the Dursley's he became rather quiet and waited for Ms. Ashwood to speak.

Maria was not sure what to think. Her son was targeted by one of the darkest and most powerful wizards of all time. To be honest she was terrified. She had met high ranking military personnel before at certain functions due to her standing in the department before she retired. This man reminded her of them a whole lot more then she would have liked. When she had asked a general how he could stand sending people off to die, people with families his response chilled her to the bone. 'I do what I must. I can not think of soldiers as people, if I do I would make poor decisions. It is simply a numbers game. The more people I can save determines my choice not who I care for. I have sent men and women that I cared deeply for to their deaths. But if I hadn't thousands more would have perished. What would you do in my shoes?' Maria couldn't even imagine what she would do. She now could understand Dumbledore's actions but she still didn't like the man. "Mr. Dumbledore I understand why you did what you did. And I can respect that." Maria told the man in the calmest voice she could muster. "However he is a child. My child! And if you ever try to even speak to him without our permission I will find you. Do you understand?"

Dumbledore was half expecting this. After his first visit he had a few acquaintances look into Ms. Ashwood and what he found out made him feel blessed to have left her home as quickly as he did. He knew this was not a woman to cross. What he was able to find on her husband was just as troubling. He had seamlessly brought his muggle family into the wizarding world and no one was the wiser. The ministry was more or less ignorant of his existence with a few notable exceptions. Of course they had records of them but no one seemed to care. He was a sly one to say the least. Honestly he did not believe that even he could have accomplished getting their house connected to the floo network. "I understand. And I truly am sorry." 'I really need to get more sleep. Maybe I should stop helping Cornelius as much.' Dumbledore pondered as he rose from his seat and left via the front door.

"Do you really think this is for the best Minerva?" Maria asked returning from her thoughts.

"I do."

"Very well. But you had better remind him of our discussion and that it applies to both of our sons." Dinner soon was ready and of course Aunt Minerva stayed to join them. After dinner and cake everyone gathered back in the living room. Before presents John became very serious.

"Son there is something your parents wanted you to have on your eleventh birthday." John told him as everyone became deathly quiet. Everyone in the room save the kids knew what was going to happen. John pulled out an envelope and handed it to Harry. Harry was stunned. Something from his parents. He opened the envelope gingerly and slowly unfolded the letter. By the end of the letter tears were freely falling from most everyone but none more so than Harry.

"Mom, Dad." Harry whispered through the tears. Soon his new mom, dad, and brother had him in a comforting hug.

"Son I want you to know that we love you so much. Just as much as your parents. And we always will." John said soothingly. Those words pushed Harry over the edge and he began sobbing. He knew that his new family loved him. Now he knew his parents did as well. He returned their hug.

After a few minutes the hug broke apart and Harry wiped away his tears. "I love you all to." He said trying to hold back the sobs but couldn't stop a few hiccups from coming out. "And you two mom and dad." He added holding his letter against his chest. He knew his mom and dad were looking down on him from where ever they were and silently promised that he would make them proud.

The next month passed swiftly and soon it was time for Harry and Merlyn to head to Kings Cross. That morning at the Ashwood household was hectic to say the least. Everyone was running around to make sure that everything was ready. Eventually everyone piled into the car. It was rather roomy thanks to Sirius casting an undetectable extension charm in it. The station was packed when they arrived making sure they had plenty of time. They were glad Sirius could make it even though Emily had to be at the office. She said the only way she would retire was if someone would put a ring on her finger. Honestly Maria couldn't understand why Sirius hadn't asked her to marry him yet. They were an amazing couple. Sirius simply said that it wasn't the right time yet. No one understood why he was being so stupid the two obviously loved each other more than life itself. One time John took Sirius aside and asked what the hold up was. Sirius made him swear not to tell anyone but he wanted to spend as much time with Harry without feeling guilty about it. Well, he did feel guilty about not spending all his time with his girlfriend but he would have felt worse if she was his wife. Now that Harry was off to school he figured he better hurry up and get that ring out. He had bought it almost a year ago now. He had never felt this way about any other woman and she was quite the woman, smart, scary, sweet, gentle 'Well, she could be gentle when she wanted to be.' he thought to himself.

Right now Harry and Merlyn were pushing their trolleys through the crowded platform making their way to the wall that leads to platform 9¾. "Hey Harry I'll race you to the platform."

"You're on!" Harry shouted as he took off.

"Hey get back here you cheat!" Merlyn yelled after his brother with a smile on his face. Sirius always said a fair fight was a fight you don't want to be in. He quickly took off after his brother who by now had disappeared in the crowd. He was running as fast as he could when his cart hit a bump and turned over with Merlyn tumbling to the ground. Merlyn lay there for a few seconds before sitting up and clutching his knee.

"Oh my god! Are you okay?" A voice asked as Merlyn felt a hand on his shoulder and noticed some one was on their knees next to him. When Merlyn looked up to see who the voice belonged to he was shocked to find a young girl with bright fire red hair, bright brown eyes and pale skin. Try as he might he could not look away from those eyes. "Are you okay?" the girl's melodic voice came again laced with concern.

"Ah um. Yea I think so. Thank you." Merlyn got out still not able to take his eyes off her. He was feeling very odd at the moment. His stomach was turning itself over and forming knots. "I'm Merlyn by the way." He introduced himself as he got up with some help from the girl. "Merlyn Ashwood." a blush unknowingly making its way to his cheeks.

"I'm Ginny, Ginny Weasley" Ginny told the boy. "Here let me help you with your trunk. Oh what a pretty owl." She exclaimed when she saw Kasper. Kasper who looked unruffled up to this point hooted indignantly.

"Kasper! Sorry he just has never liked being called pretty"

"Oh. Well how about handsome?" Kasper immediately puffed out his chest looking rather proud. Merlyn could never understand why his owl was so vain and prickly. Ginny giggled at the owls response. Merlyn felt his stomach do another somersault when he heard Ginny giggle.

"Merlyn! Merlyn!" Came his parents voices as they tried to find their lost son.

"I'm here mom." Merlyn yelled back. Maria, John, and Sirius made there way to their son and self proclaimed godson. Maria and John had nothing against Sirius being Merlyn's godfather but decided to wait to tell the man until he finally made an honest woman out of Emily.

"There you are. You should know better then to run off. Now where is your brother?"

"He is probably on the platform. We were racing and I hit a bump and well..."

"Oh Lynn what are we going to do with you." His mother scolded while shaking her head. "Are you alright?" At Merlyn's nod the three adults finally notices the presence of the little red head. "And who might you be?" Maria asked the girl.

"Oh, Mom this is Ginny Weasley. Ginny this is my mom." Merlyn said quickly getting a suspicious look from his unofficial godfather. Who was laughing his arse off on the inside at seeing the blushing boy.

"Thank you for helping my son Ginny." Maria said.

"You're welcome. Ginny said blushing at not being used to all the attention she was currently receiving. Having six older brothers meant that her parents time was rather slim when it came to her. Her only real friend was Luna and she didn't get to see much of her anymore. Not since her mothers accident. "Where are your parents Ginny?"

"Oh they are heading to platform 9¾."

"Well why don't you stick with us and we can find your parents when we get there." Maria suggested. Ginny nodded as they turned to the wall and walked towards it. "Sirius why don't you go on ahead and find Harry while we escort Ginny." with a nod Sirius set off and quickly disappeared in the crowd.

"So Ginny are you going to Hogwarts too?" Merlyn asked his face still rather red.

"Um, no Mom says I'm not old enough and that I have to wait until next year." Ginny said looking down a little sad. John and Maria were stunned. Merlyn was not exactly what you would call a people person. And here he was actually trying to make conversation even though it seemed as though he was a little uncomfortable. Then everything clicked, Merlyn's red face he wasn't flustered he was blushing! 'Oh my God! My little Lynn has his first crush! I can't wait to tell John!' They continued their walk through the station and finally arrived at the wall.

"Alright Merlyn why don't you escort this lovely lady through the barrier." Maria suggested. Merlyn and Ginny both blushed, Merlyn for being near Ginny, and Ginny for being called lovely.

"O-OKay mom." Merlyn managed to get out. He slowly offered his hand to the pretty girl at his side. "Are you ready Ginny?" His blush intensifying. Ginny reached out and took his offered hand and felt herself blush. Together the two pushed their way past the barrier.

"Ginny! Oh thank goodness! We were going hysterical! Where were you!?" A rather plump woman with red hair screamed while coming their way.

"Sorry that was my fault." Merlyn said sticking up for the girl. "I was racing my brother to the platform and crashed. Ginny saw and came to help me. It was all my fault." Ginny's eyes went wide. She knew she wasn't supposed to go anywhere and she did. She could have told her mom but the boy looked hurt and she just wanted to help so she ran over to him. But before her mother started one of her famous chewing outs. Just then John and Maria came up behind them.

The moment they appeared they noticed that Ginny was getting admonished by whom they could only assume was her mother and were about to go over and straighten everything out but their son apparently beat them to it. Once he said his piece it seemed that the right time to introduce themselves and so walked up behind Merlyn. "Hello may I assume that you are Ginny's mother?" At a nod they continued. "We apologize for the circumstances that allowed your daughter to separate from you. As you may not know this is our son Merlyn."

"I see. Well you seem to be a very gallant young man. Very rare. Well come along Ginny it's time to say goodbye to your brothers." Mrs. Weasley tells her daughter as she grabs her hand and leads her away from the Ashwoods.

"Well that was interesting." John noted while looking at his wife. "Oh look there's Sirius, come on Merlyn. Sirius found them in the crowd and waved them over. "Where's Harry?"

"Oh I already got him situated on the train he's waiting for you Merlyn." Merlyn quickly ran past Sirius and boarded the train. As he was dragging his trunk through the corridor looking for Harry a compartment door opened and two identical red heads were inside talking to his brother.

"Um, excuse me could you help me with this?" Merlyn asked gesturing towards his trunk. The two twins, as that is what they had to be, beamed at him.

"Hey look George another ickle firstie. Sure we can help you with that."

"Um I don't suppose you could watch our stuff while we say bye to our parents could you? Please."

The twins got a real mischievous look between them and then seemed to start conversing with one another. "Well what do you think oh brother of mine?"

"I don't know maybe we-"

"Should just go on-"

"Our way. Okay-"

"You have five-"

"Minutes. Now hurry up-"

"Ickle firsties." At that last one the two first years ran out.

"That was creepy. How did they do that?" Harry asked.

"Magic." Merlyn answered with an unsure shrug. As they ran off to find their parents. It didn't take long to find their parents and dogfather. The two quickly said their goodbyes and headed back to the train.

Until Sirius called, "Merlyn come here real quick. Harry why don't you go back to your compartment and look after your stuff while I have a word with your brother." Harry shrugged and ran back to the train. "Alright now why don't you tell me about that redhead."

"Ginny? U-Um w-what do you want to know." Merlyn stammered as his blush started to come back. Sirius knew he had him right then and their.

"Well how do you feel about her? Isn't she your friend?"

"Well I don't know shes okay I guess." 'Ha' Sirius thought ' the last person that was 'Okay' was Harry. Just okay my arse!' "But she makes me feel funny."

"A good funny or bad funny?" Sirius asked trying to get the boy to figure it out on his own. Merlyn puts his hand on his stomach and Sirius knows what his godson is feeling. "Okay, I want you to do something before you get on the train." This apparent change of topic got Merlyn's attention. "Now this is what I want you to do." Sirius began explaining exactly what he wanted Merlyn to do. By the end Merlyn would have been much happier on the train.

Finding Ginny was easy once most of the people were one the train. Harry walked up to her and tapped her on the shoulder making her jump and turn around as her mother was distracted by a boy who looked to be about Harry and Merlyn's age who happened to be hanging out of a window.

"Oh, Merlyn! You scared me!" Ginny chided.

"I'm sorry I didn't mean to scare you." Merlyn said apologetically. So far everything was going exactly how Sirius said it would. " I just wanted to thank you again for helping me earlier." Ginny blushed a little at that. "And I wanted to know if I could write to you. I don't really have any friends and I would really like to get to know you better." Ginny's blush intensifies but she doesn't say anything. "But if you don't want t.." Merlyn began taking the hint before Ginny pops.

"Yes!" She almost screams. Luckily nobody seems to notice with all the noise on the platform. "I would really like that. I don't really have any friends either and it gets really lonely at home when my brothers are at school. They always say they'll write to me but they never do." Tears start to show in her eyes at always being left behind and forgotten when her brothers went off to school or even when they played quidditch. She was brought out of her thoughts when she felt Merlyn's arms around her as he brought her into a hug.

"Don't worry Ginny I won't forget you." Merlyn told the teary eyed girl.

"Promise?" Ginny could barely get out. She was holding onto him like a life raft. She didn't want to be forgotten again.

"I promise. In fact if I don't write you a letter tomorrow you can turn my hair pink." Merlyn said trying to make her feel better and it worked. Ginny began to giggle at the thought of Merlyn with pink hair. Unfortunately the toot from the train cut their conversation short. "The train is about to leave I've got to go. Don't forget pink hair." Merlyn yelled to Ginny as he raced back to his compartment. Ginny couldn't keep in the giggles. Merlyn made it back to his and Harry's compartment and slid the window open before leaning out to wave goodbye to Ginny. He just couldn't resist and shouted "PINK HAIR!" one last time as they were pulling out of the station making her burst into laughter. Merlyn decided right then and there that he really liked that laughter.

"So who were you waving at?" Harry's voice said breaking Merlyn out of his reverie.

"Hmm, what?"

"Who were you waving and shouting 'pink hair' too?" Harry asked again with a raised eyebrow.

"N-no one." Merlyn answered. Now Harry's other eyebrow joined his first raised one. Merlyn was not timid, Merlyn did not stutter, and Merlyn most certainly didn't blush!

"So you weren't saying goodbye to that girl what was her name?" Harry asked. Sirius came by his compartment window and told him everything after he sent Merlyn off to go talk to the girl. So if Merlyn wasn't going to answer nicely he would just have to toy with him.

"Ginny." Merlyn said before quickly adding. "I think, I don't really remember."

Time to spring the trap. "Oh yea that ugly girl with red hair."

"SHE IS NOT UGLY SHE IS THE PRETTIEST..." Merlyn's jaw hit the floor as soon as Harry started laughing and fell off his seat. He had just been had by Prongs Jr. as Sirius always liked to call Harry when he would pull a prank.

"I can't believe you fell for it!" Harry got out while still laughing his arse off.

"How did you know? You weren't even there."

"Sirius came to the window while you were talking with her. And told me everything." Harry was still trying to catch his breath when he noticed thick grey smoke starting to fill the cabin. 'Uh Oh' Harry thought Merlyn never does this unless he is angry as hell. Damage control! "I take it all back. I'm sorry I didn't mean it! She isn't ugly!" Harry breathed a sigh of relief as the smoke started pouring out the window. That stuff was scary as hell. Rule one don't insult Merlyn's friends. Until a few minutes ago that list of friends comprised of one name, Harry. "But you have to admit I got you good." Harry said with a big smile. Harry had over the years found a few things that really irritated his brother one is that you can't ever let him win at anything. It's not like he doesn't like to win but he likes to truly win or not at all. Harry found that out after letting him win a broom race in the back yard. Harry was just trying to be nice but when Merlyn threw his broom to the floor and ran inside Harry started to feel really bad. He didn't understand what happened until his dad came out and explained it to him. His brother loves challenges and when you let him win he feels as though you don't think he is a worthy challenge. Harry felt horrible and ran to Merlyn and promised never to let him win again. Honestly his brother sure was odd at times. The other thing and really the only thing that really pissed him off was when someone picked on Harry. Pick on Merlyn and he would simply take it and not give it a second thought but touch Harry and wham. It had only happened once but it was spectacular. Harry had never had someone protect him before and it was amazing. Harry remembered fondly what happened to that old man when he tried to take him away. Dumbledore he thought was the man's name. 'Not long after that mom sat us both down and said that while she was proud of Merlyn that I need to learn to stand up for myself and fight my own battles. The lessons mom gave us were rough and while I know I don't have to rely on my brother it's always good to know that he is always there.' Harry was brought out of his thoughts when a his compartment exploded. When the smoke cleared the brothers saw that the entire compartment including themselves were covered in paint. One quick look at their cages and they were very happy they let Kasper and Hedwig fly to Hogwarts.

"Harry!" "Lynn!" The brothers yelled out at the same time. "I didn't do it." came each reply once again at the same time.

"But then" Harry started.

"Who?" Merlyn finished. And that is what let them know exactly who did this.

"Okay. Lynn this is what we do." And they began to plan.

Meanwhile down the hall two identical redheads were clutching their sides in pain from all the laughter. They didn't even notice two first years they pranked walk past them without a single spec of paint on them. It took a while but they were able to regain their composure and head back to their compartment. The instant the doors closed behind them their entire compartment filled with pearl white smoke. Coughing and wheezing The two pranksters quickly opened their compartment door again and got out into the hallway. All the coughing and wheezing had people poking their heads into the hallway to see what all the commotion was. What they found were a pair of clowns gasping for breath, one happy and one sad. At that moment the entire train car started laughing at the galloping gasping clowns.

"That was the funniest thing I have ever seen." Merlyn said as he caught his breath. "I can't wait to see what the other one will do." He said holding up a white egg in his hand. "Unfortunately we have to wait for the feast. Sirius said we could only use that one and that this one had to be broken at the feast.

"I know. I can't wait!" Harry replied. "Well since the compartment is already the colors of the rainbow. Up for a few rounds." Merlyn gave a smile in response as he pulled out his wand.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed it. I would like to address one of the comments I have received about Merlyn and his family. I know exactly who this character is and would love for you to figure out just who he is. There have already been some extremely subtle clues but they are there none the less. If you want the biggest clue go back to their first trip to Gringotts. Tell you what if you want to guess as to who Merlyn is and you are right I will post everything I have done so far as a new chapter and then replace it with the finished one once it is done. If no one gets it then you all will just have to wait for the finished product either way i hope you liked the chapter well part 1 at least.**

 **Once again please review and let me know what you think.**

 **I always appreciate my readers and their comments and reviews. Until next time.**


	11. Chapter 11: The Hogwarts Express Part II

**A/N: Here is the full chapter. Not the longest I have written but i hope you can understand why i split it into two parts. Honestly a 26k word chapter is just too long. I would like to mention that while you read this chapter to remember that Ginny still has a Hero crush on Harry. Please enjoy!**

"That was the funniest thing I have ever seen." Merlyn said as he caught his breath. "I can't wait to see what the other one will do." He said holding up a white egg in his hand. "Unfortunately we have to wait for the feast. Sirius said we could only use that one and that this one had to be broken at the feast.

"I know. I can't wait!" Harry replied. "Well since the compartment is already the colors of the rainbow. Up for a few rounds." Merlyn gave a smile in response as he pulled out his wand.

Right smack dab in the middle of one particularly heated duel the door to the compartment opened and a with bushy brown hair walked in. Well her hair was bushy and brown now it was bushy and every color you could imagine. When the two boys saw what had happened there was a collective "Oops." Unfortunately for them before they could apologize the young girl caught a look at herself in the windows reflection and ran out of the compartment crying. Well this didn't look good. Dad's rule number one is never to make a girl cry and if you found one crying it was your job to stop it. The two still had no idea why there were a set of rules and why everyone seemed to have a different set. It was difficult to remember them all but this one was beaten into them time and again by their dad.

"We need to find her." Merlyn said as he and Harry ran out of the compartment. There was no one in the hallway, obviously she had either reached hers or an empty one. "You go to the back of the train and I'll take the front."

"Right." Harry said as he started toward the back of the train. He looked in every compartment he could find and there was no sign of her. He was about to give up and find Merlyn when he heard someone crying in the loo. He knocked on the door hoping that he finally found the girl. "Hello."

"Sorry I'll be right out." Came the voice from inside. When the girl opened the door and saw who was standing in front of it she shrieked and slammed the door shut. "Go away! Or did you come here to play another stupid joke on me!?" The door flew open and she glared daggers at Harry. "It's not like I'm not used to it! Just hurry up and get it over with and leave me alone." She stood there resolute and waiting for the barrage of hate that followed her around at every school she had attended so far. She truly had hoped that Hogwarts would be different. The tears continued down her face.

"Look I'm not here to play a joke on you." Harry said uncertainly. This girl reminded him of himself before that fateful day he met his brother. At the unbelieving look in the girls eyes he continued. "Look my brother and I have been looking for you to apologize. And I promise you we weren't having a go at you. I swear. We love a good prank but you kind of walked in on us having a little duel and well you got hit in the crossfire. I swear we were just as surprised as you. My dad's number one rule is never make a lady cry and I am so sorry. Please forgive us." Harry pleaded. He really didn't want to hurt the girl in any way. During his explanation the girl became less and less upset.

"You really weren't pranking me?" The girl asked a little hopeful.

"I promise. I would like to make this up to you. Would you like to come to our compartment I promise no more duels." Harry said as he held up his hand in a promissory gesture.

"Really? You want me to sit with you?" Harry nodded vigorously. "Well okay." She said wiping away her tears.

"Um before we go would you like me fix your uh...colour?" the girl quickly looked down and blushed not that one could tell from her half pink half purple well everything. With a nod and a sniffle she nodded. Harry quickly performed the counter charm and the girl was back to her normal colouring clothing and all. "Again I'm sorry about that. I'm Harry by the way, Harry Potter." The girl gasped at hearing his name.

"Are you really?"

"Um yes." He said questioningly. "Why?"

"It's just that I've read about you in so many books. "The Rise and Fall of the Dark Arts" and...oh I'm sorry." She apologized realizing that she had never introduced herself. She quickly wiped her tear soaked hands on her skirt and introduced herself. "I'm Hermione, Hermione Granger." offering Harry her hand which he gladly shook.

"So why don't we find my brother and get back to our compartment. The snack trolley should be coming by soon." The two were now heading toward the front of the train to find Merlyn. On the way they were passing Fred and Georges compartment and noted that the door was locked. "Alright now take note this is what a prank looks like." Harry told Hermione as he took out his wand and muttered, "Alohamora." and with a click the lock opened. When Harry opened the door the two were looking at a pair of very colorful clowns. Hermione though didn't like pranks due to how many were forced on her couldn't help but let out an outrageous laugh at the happy and sad clowns standing before her. "See you two should take note not to prank a Marauder." Harry said with a smirk before closing the door and leaving the two flabbergasted clowns to their misery. "They tried to prank us not five minutes after we left the station." He told a now crying Hermione. Thankfully these tears were filled with mirth and not sadness. All of a sudden there attention was grabbed by the sound of rumbling thunder coming from the front of the train only to see a stampede coming their way. And who do you guess was leading the way. Yes the unshakable Merlyn appeared to be running for his life.

"RUN FOR YOUR LIVES!" Merlyn shouted at his brother and the new girl. Harry snatched Hermione's hand and ran to their compartment. . Harry had seen that kind of stamped before. One day they were clothes shopping in muggle London when they ran across a group of school girls. Merlyn who had taken an unhealthy liking to Sirius due to his playful and pranking nature had unfortunately picked up Sirius's flirtatious habits. After only a few minutes with the girls he had been running all over the store trying to fend them off. Even more unfortunate for him it always seemed to come out at the worst times, namely when there were a large group of women around. After seeing what trouble it had caused his brother he had vowed to keep a tight reign on his tongue lest he befall the same fate. Harry and Hermione got there first and the instant Merlyn crossed the threshold they slammed the door shut and locked it. Harry even pulled out his wand and added a rudimentary locking charm to the door. He would have done a stronger one but he wasn't that far yet. Truthfully Sirius said they could probably test into the third year but Mom and Dad put their foot down on that saying that they wanted us to grow up with kids our own age.

"What did you say this time?" Harry asked a little out of breath. He hadn't had to run from one of Merlyn's mobs in a while.

"They asked me what I was doing and I explained that I was looking for a crying girl so that I could make her feel better."

"And..." Harry drawled out knowing there was more.

"Well I might have mentioned how I wished I knew a spell to reveal angels so that I could see which ones of the girls were truly angels and not simply the most beautiful woman I had ever seen. And what do they do they start declaring that they are of course angels and then tell me to come in and examine them to find out the real angels." Harry lowered his head into his hands. "Well of course I was looking for the girl we charmed into a pink and blue spectacle to apologize so I told them that I was busy and that maybe later I could, but you know I don't like crowds and well I wanted to get out of there so I just told them that they were all the most beautiful angels that could ever exist and well they took it rather personally. Then they all wanted to know which of them was the prettiest angel and you're not going to believe this but one of them tried to kiss me to prove that she is the purest and well I bolted." Harry said finishing his tale. Hermione was in shock, no wonder those girls were after him. If he had said those things to her then she probably would be too.

"You are full of trouble." Harry scolded his brother. "You know you shouldn't let your mouth run like that."

"But we are supposed to make girls smile and they always do when Uncle Sirius says those things. I mean I was about to get trampled but they were smiling." At this Hermione started to clutch her sides laughing again. She could not for the life of her decide whether Harry's brother was brilliant or an idiot. "So who are you?" Merlyn asked.

"What? Am I not an angel sent from the heavens then?" Hermione spat at him. A whole train full of girls rushing him down and he couldn't give a single kind word to her. She knew she wasn't pretty nor did she really try to be but this hurt almost as much as when they coloured her pink and blue.

"Um, Hermione he doesn't like crowds and especially crowds of women and so when they look at him just starts spouting things." Harry tried to explain to the insulted girl beside him. "Look he really isn't a people person. It normally isn't a problem but when he is talking to a group of girls he kind of gets carried away. Besides those complements didn't mean anything did they?"

"No. I really didn't think any of them were pretty at all."

"Oh by the way this is Hermione Granger." Harry introducing Hermione to Merlyn. "She is the one we coloured."

A look of understanding came over Merlyn. "I Harry's brother Merlyn, Merlyn Ashwood. And I am really sorry about what happened." He said sticking out a hand for Hermione.

Hermione took his hand and shook it. "It's okay. Harry explained everything to me. I thought you two were brothers?" Hermione started right in with the questions. She had never heard that the boy-who-lived had a brother.

"We are adopted. I didn't have a last name when they found me so I took theirs. Harry chose to keep the Potter name out of respect of his parents." Merlyn explained. Funnily it was only when her questions were answered that she noticed the state of the compartment.

"What on earth happened in here?" The room was still covering in every colour imaginable thanks to a certain set of twins.

"Oh you remember those clowns that we past?" Harry continued when he received a nod. "Well this was their prank but they got us too. Luckily we know the counter charm but we left the compartment because well it is rather colourful." Hermione giggled at Harry's explanation. "So Hermione any ideas about what house you want to be in?"

"Well I have read all about them and I think I would like to be in Gryffindor. But I don't suppose Ravenclaw will be too bad. I'll probably end up there."

"Why do you think you won't make it into Gryffindor?" Merlyn asked her. God this girl reminds him of his brother when they first met.

"Well I'm not exactly brave. But I am smart."

"What are you talking about? Of course your brave!" Harry insisted. "Remember when you were crying in the loo? You opened the door and faced me even though you thought I was going to do something nasty to you. Now that is brave." Hermione's cheeks coloured at that statement. 'Maybe I could be in Gryffindor after all.' she thought to herself.

The rest of the train ride was mostly uneventful. Hermione found Merlyn to be distant but he was nice and respectful. He never did comment on her looks which stung a little bit. If he could go into a group of women that he didn't even think were pretty and call them angels couldn't he at least of said she looked nice. Harry on the other hand had to be the nicest boy she had ever met. It didn't really hurt that he was cute and actually was sitting next to her, something that no boy or girl had ever done willingly. The thought made her blush a few times during the trip. Maybe Hogwarts would be different after all. Once they had arrived at Hogsmead station a prefect told them to leave their luggage on the train and it would be taken care of. The trio, now dressed in their Hogwarts robes, got off the train and headed to the largest person that they had ever seen. Harry and Merlyn's dad was tall but this guy was gigantic.

"Firs' years. Firs' years. Over 'ere. Follow me." The giant man bellowed over the crowd. When he seemed sure that all of the first years were surrounding him he lead them over to a bunch of small boats. "Alrigh' four to a boa'" Merlyn, Harry, and Hermione immediately got into the same boat and were joined by a blonde haired boy. There wasn't any talking on the voyage across the lake as everyone was too focused on the castle right in front of them. When they arrived at the shore the giant led them up to the castle. The warm entrance hall was a welcome felling for the first years who were freezing after being on the lake for so long. It wasn't long before all the first years were standing up in front of the entire school waiting to be sorted. When they had been told to file into the great hall Harry and Merlyn were a little shocked to find their Aunt Minerva waiting for the entire group of first years.

"Now when I call your name you will put on the hat and sit on the stool to be sorted. Abbot Hannah." A blonde girl with her hair in pigtails stumbled over to the stool. The hat went right over her eyes and after a brief pause...

The hats brim split making a mouth and the hat shouted, "Hufflepuff." Hannah took off the hat and ran over to the Hufflepuff table where everyone was cheering and clapping.

"Ashwood, Merlyn." Professor McGonagall called out trying to keep her demeanor as stoic as always but if someone looked carefully one could see the edges of her mouth twitch upward.

Merlyn strode confidently to the stool. He sat down as his Aunt Minerva put the hat on his head. Just as the hat covered his eyes he heard a voice in his head. "Well, well, well, I never expected to have you under my brim again. How have you been Merlyn?"

"Um hello?" Merlyn said out loud.

"No, no, just think it and I will hear you. I am a thinking cap after all." The hat laughed as he spoke in Merlyn's head. "So where to put you? If I remember correctly you did very well in Slytherin last time but I am afraid that the house has changed much since then."

"Um, what are you talking about?" Merlyn asked tentatively.

"Oh never you mind. Get it?" The hat punned. Merlyn shook his head, he hated puns. "Now hmm let me pick your brain and we shall see where you shall go. Hmm, no certainly not Slytherin. Even if the house hadn't changed you certainly have. Hmm"

"Um I would like to go to Gryffindor. If I could I mean." Merlyn told the hat as the hat was examining him.

"Hmm are you sure you seem more like a Hufflepuff. Oh well if you're sure then so be it...Gryffindor!" The hat shouted the last word out loud. Merlyn happily took the hat off his head and set it down before turning and giving his Aunt Minerva a big hug. To everyone's shock and surprise Minerva McGonagall, the strictest professor in all of Hogwarts, returned the hug.

"Way to go Lynn. I am so proud to have you in my house. Now why don't you go and join your housemates at the Gryffindor table." Minerva said with a smile she couldn't hide. The only people who were clapping now were Harry, Hermione, and McGonagall. The rest of the Great Hall was stunned into silence. Minerva quickly began calling out the names on her list. Then it was Hermione's turn.

Hermione nervously approached the stool and the waiting hat. She turned to face the rest of the school and right before the hat covered eyes she saw Harry give her a thumbs up. She immediately felt the knots in her stomach loosen. Was this what it felt like to have a friend? Hermione almost jumped out of her seat when she heard the hat speaking in her head. "Well an almost unmatched thirst for knowledge and oh what is this? Hmm well look at that a vein of bravery well let me think. Yes, I believe you will be best suited for...Gryffindor!" Hermione quickly took off the hat and ran over to join Merlyn at the Gryffindor table not even noticing the applause she was receiving. Merlyn gave her a thumbs up before flashing her his dazzling smile. She knew right then that his flirtatious words to the girls on the train had almost nothing to do with the stampede.

McGonagall once again continued calling out names and more and more people were being sorted and then she called out "Potter, Harry." the entire hall was now buzzing with whispers. "Did she say Harry Potter?" "The Harry Potter?" the whispers didn't end until the sorting hat was placed on his head.

"Well Mr. Potter lets see. Plenty of courage yes, not a bad mind either, and a thirst to prove yourself. Hmm very difficult." Hearing this Harry started chanting 'Gryffindor, Gryffindor, Gryffindor' in his head hoping that he would be in his Aunt's house with his brother and new friend. "Well that makes it easy go and join your brother in... Gryffindor!" The Gryffindor table erupted in cheers and applause. Harry practically ripped the hat off his head and gave his Aunt a quick hug before he ran to join Merlyn and Hermione at the Gryffindor table.

"Well is it ready?" Harry asked his brother ignoring the applause around him.

"Yea, I did it while everyone was watching you. I guess you're more famous than we thought." Merlyn let out with a chuckle.

"Wait what did you do?" A curious Hermione asked. The two brothers each put on an innocent look as they just said that they had no idea what she was talking about.

Under Hermione's eye Harry crumbled. "Well you remember the two clowns. That was only part one." Harry admitted with a roguish grin that he picked up from Sirius. Hermione's cheeks seemed to burn. Apparently Merlyn wasn't the only one with a dangerous smile although Harry seemed to keep his to himself. She was a little worried about what was about to happen she certainly didn't want to turn into a clown. "Don't worry we don't even know what is going to happen." Harry said trying to reassure Hermione seeing the uneasy look on his friends face. The sorting soon finished and Dumbledore stood up earning a bit of a glare from Harry and Merlyn. They still remembered when he came to the house and tried to take Harry back to those horrible Dursleys.

"Welcome to a new year at Hogwarts! Before we begin our banquet I would like to say a few words. Nitwit! Blubber! Oddment! Tweak! Thank you." Dumbledore spoke loudly. This was it. Harry nodded to Merlyn. With a quick flick of his wand the second egg activated.

All of a sudden there were fireworks going off all over the Great Hall and right above the door in sparkling letters were the words "Misers Mooney, Padfoot, and Prongs wish to announce the return of the Marauders!" At this most of the hall cheered for the fireworks not understanding the message. A pair of twins were sitting gobsmacked at what they were seeing before almost getting whiplash as the spun their heads to look at the two first years that they pranked on the train. The teachers however were not so happy at this revelation. Professors McGonagall and Dumbledore seemed to chuckle while the blood drained from most of their coworkers faces. Snape's eyes immediately went to Harry Potter and a scowl formed on his face.

Hermione turned to Merlyn and asked "How did you do that?"

"I didn't. It was our welcoming present from our godfather." Merlyn said with a grin. "I simply placed the egg on the door and activated it. That's all. It was amazing wasn't it?" Hermione was now watching the fireworks in wonder. Dinner finished without any more interruptions and the trio were soon being led to their common room by their prefect Percy Weasley. Who told them that they should get a good night sleep before their classes tomorrow. It was a silent walk up to their dorm rooms and stayed that way as they changed into their night attire along with their dorm mates, Ron Weasley, Neville Longbottom, Dean Thomas, and Seamus Finnigan. "Hey Harry do you have the film?" Harry nodded and tossed his brother a roll of film that contained the pictures they took on the train. Merlyn went over to the window and opened it before letting out a shrill whistle. It didn't take long for him to make out the form of his owl Kasper coming in for a landing. "Hey Kasper give me a minute I need you to get this to Sirius tonight and wait for the return packages okay? If he is asleep wake him up." The owl hooted his ascent. "That is why you are the best." Merlyn said as he scribbled a note to Sirius telling him to develop these pictures and send them back ASAP as he would need them tomorrow.

The next morning we find Harry and Merlyn sitting in the common room waiting for their new friend. Harry was a little surprised at his brothers attitude he usually doesn't form any kind of friendships and now he has made two new ones in a day. He really wanted to figure this out. "So Lynn, whats up? You didn't go all Sirius on Hermione yesterday."

"You know I only do that when I get uncomfortable. Truthfully I would have rather ignored those girls but they were starring at me and you remember dad told me that I should always try to make girls smile. But the girls never chase Sirius, I wonder what I'm doing wrong." Unfortunately the only times he had witnessed Sirius interacting with a woman was with Auntie Em. Harry wondered if his brother would ever understand that you were only supposed to say those things to your girlfriend not to every girl out there. Not that Harry would ever clue him in it was far to hilarious watching his brother run for his life. Harry had always tried to fit in and had noticed how people acted around one another where Merlyn on the other hand did not really care and so never really picked up on certain social customs. On top of that Merlyn really only liked being the center of attention when it was with people he knew which basically meant family only. Although being in a school again that may change.

"I don't know you seem to be doing it exactly like Uncle Sirius." Harry told his brother faking ignorance. "But you didn't tell me why you didn't get nervous around Hermione."

"I don't know." Merlyn replied shrugging his shoulders.

"Hey Hermione." Harry greeted. "We've been waiting for you."

Hermione was stunned. They waited... for her? "Oh really, you didn't have to." Hermione said a little taken aback.

"Why wouldn't we?" Harry asked a little perplexed.

"Well um, thanks" Hermione replied not at all used to this. Maybe they really would be her friends. But how long would it last. When ever she would change schools before the other kids never really liked her because of her habit of being a 'teacher's pet' or 'know it all'. Well this was her chance and she sure as hell wasn't going to screw it up. With a bright smile she bound down the steps. "Well lets get going before Ron eats everything." It had quickly become a running joke between the three that Ronald Weasley would eat anything put in front of him after they saw him demolish multiple plates of food last night. The sight was rather disturbing when you factor in his horrible table manners. He even ended up spitting food everywhere while he tried to talk to the ghost sitting near them. As they made their way into the Great Hall they found seats at one end of the table unfortunately not far enough from the young Weasley. They hadn't noticed last night with all the noise but he was a very loud eater. Eventually Hermione just couldn't take it anymore. "Will you please eat slower! It's disgusting!" She almost shouted causing both Harry and Merlyn to chuckle.

Ron, his ears going red from embarrassment, looked up from his food to see who was speaking. "Whft?" He asked his mouth still full of eggs and bacon.

Hermione looked like she might throw up. "Honestly were you raised in a barn?" Ron's response was impaired by his mouthful of food. Hermione gave a disgusted shudder and turned back to Harry and Merlyn. "How can you two not be affected by this?" She asked gesturing to the human garbage disposal.

"We simply don't think it's worth our time. If he hasn't learned manners by now he never will." Merlyn replied. Harry new that his brother was extremely picky when it came to other people. If he didn't like them he simply didn't deal with them. Harry didn't exactly have anything against the red head but he would admit he wasn't too fond of a boy who didn't seem to know basic table manners. They continued eating and discussing their classes for the day. The three were actually really looking forward to their first potions class. On the train they had told Hermione all about their homeschooling for the past few years. To say that she was a little jealous was like saying the sky was a little blue. When Merlyn saw that she was rather worried whether she would be able to keep up and put a comforting hand on her shoulder and told her she would be fine. And if by some chance she was behind he and Harry would help her. At that she started to tear up. Real friends! Well she wasn't going to let them down she would do her best. The owls soon arrived and Merlyn was looking intently for Kasper hoping that he would be able to make it in time for the morning post. Finally he found his owl clutching a small package. The moment Kasper landed in front of Merlyn he quickly untied the package and when hooted at indignantly gave Kasper a pet and some of the bacon off his plate. "Finally I was a little worried that I didn't send the film to Sirius soon enough." He quickly opened the accompanying letter.

Pup,

I don't know why you need these so badly but you woke both me and your aunt up. You better have a good reason for this.

Dogfather

P.S.: Saw the pictures. I am definitely keeping the one of you. I don't know what you plan to do with these but I hope it is worth it. Say hi to your brother for me.

"Shit. He is keeping copies of both pictures." Merlyn sighed.

"So what are these pictures?" Hermione asked as she watched Merlyn unwrap the package. Inside were two pictures. One was of the two clowns she saw on the train. The other was of a rainbow coloured Merlyn. She began to giggle when she saw that. Merlyn smiled at her glad she could see the humor. 'She isn't so bad.' he thought to himself. When Harry saw him smile he knew that Hermione had somehow wormed her way into Merlyn's good book.

"Alright I hate to send you back out but I made a promise so could you please deliver this today. Can you do it please." The eagle owl hooted his ascent and puffed out his chest as if saying "Please you think that flight to south England would tire me out." Merlyn smiled and tied his letter to Kasper's leg.

"I swear you couldn't have gotten a more perfect owl if you tried." Harry laughed that owl was almost Merlyn's double in owl form. Said owl puffed out his chest even more as he took what Harry said as a complement and to be honest it kind of was. Harry thought the world of his brother after all.

As they entered the dungeon the trio felt a cold shiver crawl up their spines. This was a really creepy place. As Harry and Merlyn normally would brew potions in the back yard this was a rather unwelcome sight. To add to their discomfort Sirius had warned them about Snivellus. They tried to warn Hermione on their way down but for some reason she just couldn't believe that a professor would be that bad. Well they would just have to see. They found seats right next to each other. They noticed that Ron had opted to sit on the opposite side of the dungeon. Something that all three were grateful for. While their fellow first years were filtering in one of their dorm mates came up to them and asked if he could sit with them. The boy was a little pudgy and Harry thought he remembered his name being Neville Longbottom. Harry told him he was welcome to join them as Neville took the seat on the other side of Hermione. He seemed like a nice bloke a little shy but nice.

"Silence." Came a cold voice from the front of the class. So it was time to see just how bad Snivellus was. "There will be no foolish wand waving in this class. If you lot are as incompetent a group as I am usually forced to teach I will be sorely disappointed. If you are able to understand the subtle art of potion brewing I can teach you to bottle fame, brew glory, and even put a stopper in death." He finished glancing around the room. His eyes landed right on Harry. 'Oh this can't be good.' Harry thought. "Mr. Potter, what would I get if I added powdered root of asphodel to an infusion of wormwood?"

Harry knew this one as his dad had recently brewed it before they came to Hogwarts. "That would be the Draught of Living Death."

"Very well, where would I look if I asked you to find me a bezoar?" Snape asked with a cruel grin.

"Um.." Harry was trying to think about all his lessons with his dad but nothing was coming up. They didn't exactly do a lot of reading they focused on the practical portion. "I don't know."

Snape gave a a triumphant chuckle. "Clearly fame isn't everything." Hermione was stunned the those things were only referenced in the book once. How could he expect anyone to know what they were? True Harry knew about the Draught of Living Death but really. She had met her fair share of mean teachers but they couldn't hold a candle to this man. The rest of the potions class passed without much incident. Snape simply lectured for the rest of the hour.

"So do you believe us now?" Harry asked as he and Hermione were waiting in the Great Hall for Merlyn to get back from the bathroom so they could start eating their lunch.

"Well he was rather tough but maybe he was just having a bad day." Hermione suggested. Harry did notice that she seemed a little down. And decided to find out what was going on with his friend.

"Hermione is something wrong?"

"What do you mean?" Hermione responded coming out of her thoughts. She didn't think she should have answered so many questions but she just couldn't seem to help herself.

"Well you seem a little down. What's wrong?" Harry pressed.

"Nothing."

"I can tell somethings bothering you Hermione now out with it." Harry implored.

"I was just wondering how long you and Merlyn will be my friends for." Hermione whispered shedding a tear. "My friends don't last long once they find out I am an 'i-insufferable know-it-all' and a 'bossy nagging b-bitch'." The tears were now flowing freely. She really liked Harry and Merlyn they were nice to her and even offered to help her if she needed it. But she knew they would leave her just like the rest did. And she didn't want to loose them.

"What are you talking about? Do you actually think we would stop being your friend for such a stupid reason?" Hermione looked up at Harry's sharp tone. "Hermione we like you. You're nice and fun to be around. Why would we ever want to stop being your friend? Listen Hermione I'm going to tell you something I don't normally tell people. You know I said that Merlyn isn't really a people person." With a nod from Hermione he continued. "Well how many friends do you think Merlyn has ever had." Hermione shrugged she assumed that it was a rather large number considering what happened on the train and that most of them were probably girls. "One." This made Hermione's eye's pop. "Only one. Me it isn't that he couldn't make more friends but he doesn't want to. Merlyn is very picky when he makes friends and he doesn't dump them. Now he not only has you. I could tell this morning while you were laughing at his picture that he likes you. And so do I for that matter. We aren't going to abandon you because you have some quirks. Hell Merlyn is weirder then you." Hermione was now crying harder than before. She wasn't going to be alone anymore. She had friends. Just then Merlyn took a seat next to the crying Hermione.

"What did you do?" Merlyn asked accusingly at his brother as there was no one else around before anyone could say anything he turned to Hermione. "Hey don't worry about it my brother is an idiot. Look I know this amazing spell I can teach you and then you can curse him to your hearts content. Okay? Just please cheer up Hermione. Harry apologize right now!" Merlyn demanded as he put a comforting arm around Hermione as she threw her arms around Merlyn's neck and started whispering thank you under her breath. Harry just looked as though he was clubbed over the head with a beaters bat. What the hell had just happened.

"Look Lynn nothing happened. Hermione thought we were going to ditch her for some stupid reason. She is crying because I set her straight. She is happy you dimwit." Harry said joining in on the laughter now coming from Hermione. Hermione untangled herself from Merlyn and wiped away her tears before giving both Harry and Merlyn a kiss on the cheek causing all three of them to blush. The three of them then ate in peaceful conversation. By the time they left the Great Hall for Transfiguration they were all laughing as Harry told Hermione one of Sirius's old school stories. Hermione never wanted to wake up from this dream. When they arrived in the transfiguration classroom they were met by a very stern looking Professor McGonagall who told them to take their seats. Harry and Merlyn were warned to always address her as Professor McGonagall unless they were alone before they went to Kings Cross station. The class started a lot like potions. Professor McGonagall began with a harsh lecture stating that transfiguration was one of the most dangerous magical arts and that anyone caught fooling around in her class would immediately receive detention. No one dared argue. There first class consisted of turning a matchstick into a needle. Harry and Merlyn had been able to do that since Sirius's first lesson so of course they were able to accomplish it on their first try. Professor McGonagall quickly came over and awarded them each five points. Hermione seemed to be having trouble with her matchstick she was able to get it to turn silver but she could not for the life of her figure out how to get the end pointy. Harry saw her start becoming frustrated and leaned over and whispered in her ear, "Calm down Hermione. Just make sure you have a clear image in your head when you cast the spell." Hermione visibly calmed after a few deep breaths and tried one more time making sure to keep a clear image in her head. And wouldn't you know it a perfect needle. Hermione gasped and hugged Harry.

"I did it!" Hermione said excitedly.

"I can see that! Congratulations Hermione." Harry said while struggling to breathe damn this girl had a tight hug. Professor McGonagall soon came by to see what all the commotion was about and gave Hermione five points for Gryffindor as well for her completed needle. The rest of the day passed and the trio could now be found on the grounds relaxing and watching the clouds after their classes were over.

That night at the Burrow a sad Ginny was sitting at the table playing with her food. She didn't feel like eating tonight. He promised he would write but it turned out that Merlyn, just like everyone else, forgot her. No she didn't feel good at all. Why was it no one remembered her. "Mom, I'm not hungry I think I'll just go to bed."

"Oh honey, you have barely touched your food. Don't you think you could eat just a little something?" Molly pleaded with her daughter. She normally got sad when her brothers went off to Hogwarts. But she had never seen her like this. When her daughter shook her head Molly saw tears in her eye's. Maybe she should call the Lovegoods and set up a play date for her daughter. "Well if you're sure. I'll keep your plate warm for you in case you get hungry later."

Ginny didn't even respond as she got up and went to her room closed the door and then collapsed on her bed as the tears began to fall. She couldn't stand the fact that she actually believed Merlyn would keep his word. No one did when it came to her. She was sobbing so much that she didn't even notice the owl fly in her bedroom window and land on the her desk. The hooted to get her attention but she didn't hear it. The owl huffed a little at being ignored and flapped over to the bed and tapped her head with one of his talons. Ginny let out a shriek before she jumped up to see what just happened.

Then she saw the owl. A smile began to split her face as she recognized the owl as Kasper. It was Merlyn's owl! "Kasper!" She gasped as she lunged for the owl and gave him a hug. Kasper was so startled when the girl lunged at him he didn't even move and before he knew what was going on it was too late, he was in the girls embrace. Now normally Kasper would not let anyone save Merlyn do this but she was gentle and Merlyn seemed to like her so he would take the suffering. Unfortunately his hoots that sounded an awful like purring gave him away as the girl started to pet him. 'Okay this girl was alright,' he guessed, as he let out another purring hoot. Eventually sometime later he remembered he was here to deliver a letter and package. He hooted and flapped back over to the desk and held out his leg so that she could untie the package. As she walked over to him Kasper let out a hoot and puffed out his chest in pride. "Oh you are the most handsome owl I have ever seen." Ginny told him as she gave his feathers one last stroke. Unbelievable as it was his chest puffed out far enough Ginny was surprised he didn't explode. She just had to giggle at the owls antics. She finally took the letter from Kasper and went back to her bed as she held the package gingerly. It definitely felt like more than one piece of parchment. She reached inside and found one very long piece of parchment and two photographs. She hurriedly unfolded the parchment and read.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I hope that you are well and that this letter didn't arrive too late. Have I got a story to tell you. You will absolutely not believe what happened after the train pulled out of the station yesterday. We weren't gone for five minutes before our compartment exploded! No I swear I am not joking. When the smoke cleared both my brother and I were covered in paint. Can you believe it these two guys named Fred and George actually pranked us. And let me tell you it was hilarious both my brother and I looked ridiculous with all of that paint covering us. You should see me. No really take a look that is one of the pictures._

Ginny put the letter down on her bed and pulled out the first photo. The photo was of a paint covered Merlyn smiling from ear to ear and laughing as hard as he could. Her smile grew to split her face in two she tried to cover her mouth to keep her from laughing but it didn't help, she started laughing uncontrollably at the picture. Once she regained control of herself she propped the picture up on her desk and moved back to the letter.

 _I hope you got as good a laugh out of it as I did. But that isn't even the best part since they decided to prank us we thought it would only be right if we returned the favor. So we cleaned ourselves up and went to their compartment, we even passed them in the hallway but they were laughing so hard that they never even saw us. I think we did an amazing job repaying the favor. You should check out the second picture. Go on._

Ginny nearly fell over herself to get the second photo and when she saw it she fell on the floor unable to breathe she was laughing so hard. It took almost ten minutes before she was breathing easily again. Who would of believed it someone who could out prank the prankster kings. With all the pranks they pulled on her she was glad someone could do this to them. Still breathing heavily she decided to put this picture in a safe place just in case she needed some blackmail material later. She didn't dare go back to the letter until she had calmed down a bit or she might pass out from lack of air. She felt that the smile that was currently plastered on her face would last for the rest of the week. She laid back down on her stomach as she finished reading the letter.

 _Can you believe it! Personally I think that they make an amazing pair of clowns. Unfortunately our uncle only let us do that one on the train and the other big one would have to wait for the feast later that night. Since we didn't have anything else to do and our compartment was already coloured beyond belief Harry and I decided to have a little duel. The only spell allowed was a colour changing charm but halfway through our duel a girl came into the compartment and she unfortunately was hit by both of our charms. She was so upset that she was now pink and blue that she ran off crying. We felt horrible and went to find her. I searched the front half of the train while my brother took the back and boy did I mess up. I'm not sure how or why but let me tell you what happened. So there I was looking for a half pink half blue girl when I opened a compartment to check to see if she was in there but what I found was a bunch of girls talking and all of a sudden they just turned as one and stared at me. It was freaky all those heads turning at once and all of them started scowling at me so I did the only thing I could think of. I start talking to them like my uncle does when he wants to make my aunt smile and well it sort of worked. All of the scowls were gone and replaced by smiles. They then invited me to share their compartment but when I told them I couldn't and gave them my best smile so that they wouldn't be offended a strange look overtook them and they all got up and started chasing me through the train yelling at me to please come back! What the hell! So I did the only thing I could think of...RUN! Eventually I made it back to the safety of my own compartment with my brother and the girl and we locked the door._

Ginny had to take a brake while trying to contain her mirth. This boy was so clueless. Sweet, but clueless. She looked back at the photo now propped up on her desk. "Kasper do you know how clueless Merlyn is?" She asked the owl now standing on her bed. He gave a hoot as he tilted his head to the side. Apparently not. Ginny thought about how much Kasper and Merlyn were alike as she stroked his feathers he really was a handsome owl. She continued to stoke the now purring owl as she picked up the letter and continued reading.

 _Well now that we were safe and secured I apologized profusely to the girl. I know it was only an accident but I hate seeing a girl cry. And it's even worse if I was the cause. We ended up talking for the rest of the trip she really not that bad. Her name is Hermione Granger. Anyway the rest of the trip was relatively uneventful. Then when we got to the station this gigantic man named Hagrid had us all get into a bunch of boats and we sailed across this huge lake to the castle. Then of course we all got sorted into our houses. Harry, Hermione, and I all got sorted into Gryffindor! I can't believe how lucky we were to get into our Aunt Minerva's house. At the end of the sorting the headmaster, who I think has a few screws loose, stood up and shouted out "Nitwit! Oddment! Blubber! And Tweak!" See why I think he's nuts. Well that is when we set off our other prank. There were fireworks going all over the Great Hall while the words ""Misers Mooney, Padfoot, and Prongs wish to announce the return of the Marauders!" sparkled above the door. It was fantastic! After the feast one of the prefects, Percy I think his name was, showed us to our dorms. I had to send Kasper to my Uncle Sirius to get the pictures developed so that I could send them to you. Kasper didn't seem to mind but my uncle was a little upset that he woke him and my aunt up in the middle of the night. But he got me the pictures in time to send to you so I'll deal with it. And unfortunately that ends my heroic tale. I hope you enjoyed it. I hope to hear from you soon._

 _Your friend,_

 _Merlyn_

'Wow' Ginny thought to herself. 'He got in trouble with his uncle just so he could send me the pictures. Sweet.' Ginny thought as she felt a warm feeling in the pit of her stomach. For some reason she felt really happy that Merlyn was so clueless. She picked up the letter and took it downstairs where she could read it again while she ate her dinner.

Molly was busy cleaning the kitchen. Cleaning was always something she did when she was upset. She had almost never seen her daughter so sad and she didn't know what to do. Her boys always bounced back from being upset that she never had to worry about it but her daughter was a little more sensitive then her testosterone driven brothers. She knew that she didn't get to spend much one on one time with Ginny as she always tried to treat her children equally. She would be doing her best to rectify that now that it was only them in the house. She heard the creaking of the stairs and looked up to see, to her delight, a smiling Ginny. "Ginny! Are you alright?"

"I'm great, mom!" Ginny told her mother with that smile still plastered to her face. "I'm really hungry is my dinner still in the oven?" Molly just nodded as she witnessed this miraculous change in her daughter. She noticed the letter once she put it down on the table before she grabbed her plate from the oven. "Where did that letter come from Ginny?" As if on cue Kasper came flying down the stairs and landed on Ginny's shoulder. "Oh! What a pretty owl." Kasper hooted and puffed up in indignation.

"Mom! He is not pretty Kasper is handsome." At that Kasper instantly puffed up as proud as a peacock. Molly chuckled at the owl's change in character. "You know I bet after that long hard flight you must be hungry how would you like some of my dinner?" Kasper gave a hoot and flapped onto the table and started hopping in anticipation. Causing both of the Weasley women to giggle at his antics.

"You know I didn't think that they had any eagle owls in the school owlery. Who is that letter from dear?" Molly asked. She could not think of anyone who would write to Ginny that had an eagle owl.

"Um, it's from Merlyn" She said quietly hoping her mom wouldn't get mad. "He asked if he could write me at Kings Cross. I said that he could." Ginny said looking up still unsure of her mother's response.

"I see." Molly said unsure how she felt about a boy writing to her daughter. "Who is Merlyn I don't think I remember him?"

"Um, he is the boy who I helped." Ginny said nervously, she still remembered how angry her mother was that she went off on her own.

"I see." Molly replied trying to remember the boy. Yes he was the boy that brought Ginny to platform 9 ¾. She also remembered how that boy stood up and took full responsibility for her daughters actions even though he was in no way responsible for her leaving her side. "May I read the letter?"

"Uh, sure mom." Ginny said handing her the letter and began thinking that maybe she should have left it upstairs in her room. She didn't touch her food as her mom read her letter. She had butterflies in her stomach.

Molly read the letter and couldn't help but frown at the mention of Fred and George. It doesn't appear as though the boy is aware that they are Ginny's brothers. But there were bits that she had to chuckle at. Once she finished she looked at her daughter who was now wearing a worried expression. The boy seemed nice enough and he did stand up for Ginny on the platform. She might have been a little harsh on the boy and then he still goes and writes to her daughter. The boy had guts that was for sure. "Ginny can you bring the pictures down please."

Ginny ran upstairs to get the pictures she really didn't want to give them to her mom but maybe if she just handed over one she could hide the one of Merlyn. She put the picture of Merlyn in her pocket and took the one of the twins down to her mom. "Here it is mom."

"Where is the other?"

"He only sent me that one." Ginny answered nervously. This was a big gamble but she really wanted to keep Merlyn's photo.

"Ginevra Molly Weasley don't you dare lie to me!" Molly roared at her daughter. Ginny slowly took Merlyn's picture out of her pocket and gave it one last look trying to commit it to memory before grudgingly handing it to her mother. Molly watched her daughter gaze at the picture before handing it over. 'Oh dear lord another crush.' Molly thought. Well at least he seems to be a decent boy. Once again the memory of him standing up to her for Ginny flashed across her mind. She gave a small chuckle there were very few people that would do that. "Ginny you will not hide something like this from me again do you understand?" Ginny nodded slowly she knew what was about to happen. Tears started to flow from her eye's. "Now that we have that settled I think that this boy deserves a return letter don't you?" Molly asked her daughter with a smile. Ginny's face lit up like a Christmas tree. Ginny ran and tackled her mother.

"Thank you! Thank you! Thank you!" Ginny cried as she hugged her mother before taking back the letter and photo's. 'God it's a good thing for Ginny that this boy is clueless' Molly thought as she looked down at her daughter staring at the picture of said boy. 'Come to think of it I should probably write to him and his family as well.'

The next morning the trio made their way down to breakfast talking about the classes that they would have today. They found seats as far away from the human vacuum as they could. Though it was true that none of them liked the boy that was not the reason for distancing themselves from him. The reason was that it was simply disturbing to eat near him with all the noise he made. Harry and Hermione were busy loading up their plates when Hermione noticed that Merlyn wasn't putting a single crumb on his own. "Lynn, what's wrong?" She had taken to calling him that the previous afternoon.

"Don't worry about him Hermione." Harry told her. "I'm sure he is just waiting to see if he got a letter from his girlfriend." Hermione's eye's widened at hearing this while Merlyn turned to face his brother.

"She is not my girlfriend!" Merlyn nearly shouted his cheeks reddening. He quickly turned his eyes back to the ceiling for any sign of the morning owl post. It was almost ten minutes later when the first owl entered the Great Hall. The owls were swarming the hall but Merlyn saw no sign of Kasper. With a heavy sigh he stopped searching and looked back down at his plate not feeling especially hungry.

"Lynn, I'm sure she'll write back. It might just take a few days. Remember you have been running Kasper a little ragged." Hermione said trying to boos her friends spirits. It didn't seem to work.

Breakfast was almost over when Harry let out a shout as Kasper landed right in front of them. "Lynn it's Kasper!"

"Kasper!" Merlyn shouted before grabbing his owl and bringing him into a tight hug. Kasper stretched his wings and hugged his human right back. "Do you have something for me?" Merlyn asked hopefully placing his owl back down on the table. Kasper lifted his leg as if to saw 'Well duh'. Merlyn laughed as he untied two letters. Two? He quickly opened the first one. To his surprise it was from Ginny's mother.

 _Dear Mr. Ashwood,_

 _I would like to apologize to you for my treatment of you while on platform 9 ¾. I was simply worried for my daughters safety and I would like to thank you for returning her to me._

 _Thank you,_

 _Molly Weasley._

Merlyn put down the letter and quick as a flash opened the next one.

 _Dear Merlyn,_

 _I received your letter last night. I am sorry to say that I thought you had forgotten me until the handsome Kasper flew into my bedroom. When he did I was so happy that you hadn't forgotten me. I hope you can forgive me for doubting you but no one ever seems to remember me and I was afraid that you had forgotten me too. I loved your letter I couldn't even breathe when I saw what you did to my brothers. I'm sorry they pranked you but I think you came out the winner on that score. You really made my day with your letter. I really loved the pictures you sent me... especially the one of you. But I wish you didn't get in trouble with your uncle to do get it. Since you sent me a picture of you I thought it would only be fair if I sent you one too. I hope to hear from you soon._

 _Your friend,_

 _Ginny_

Merlyn reached into the envelope and pulled out a photo of Ginny wearing a golden dress as she smiled up at him. All of the knots that his gut had been twisting itself into loosened instantly. Harry and Hermione watched as a smile sprang onto Lynn's face and both of them had the exact same thought 'He is besotted.'

Merlyn quickly pulled out a piece of parchment and quickly scribbled a short note onto it before signing it and tying it to Kasper's leg. "Hey I know you have been flying almost non stop for a couple of days but do you think you can make one more? Please Kasper I promise I will make it worth your while!" Kasper hooted and rubbed his head against Merlyn's hand before taking off once again.

That night Ginny was surprised to find what looked like a very tired Kasper standing on her bed. "Kasper! What are you doing back? You look tired." Kasper puffed out his chest as if to say 'I'm good' which made Ginny giggle as she untied the letter from Kasper's leg. "Come here." She said picking up the exhausted owl. And taking him down to the kitchen to get him some food and water. Once she made sure Kasper was comfortable she opened the letter and read it. What it said made tears come to her eyes and her and her heart sing.

 _I will never forget you!_

 _Merlyn_

 _P.S. Please take care of Kasper for the next week he deserves a break and from the way he agreed to this delivery I would say he likes you. I had to make sure you knew that I could never forget you._

The rest of the week passed rather smoothly. In every class Harry and Merlyn were always the first to complete their spells before anyone else usually followed up by Hermione. At first Hermione was rather put out that she wasn't the best but calmed down when Harry reminded her that They had already learned all of this two years ago. In an effort to make her feel better Harry offered up himself and Merlyn to tutor her until she caught up to them. Hermione would never forget the day she became pink and blue. She would always look at it as a blessing because she now had the two most wonderful people as her friends. Quirks and all.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. Please let me know what you think about this chapter. So far I will admit that i have thoroughly enjoyed writing these last two chapters.**

 **Please review and let me know what you think.  
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 **I would love to hear what everyone has to say about this chapter!**

 **Until next time.**


	12. Chapter 12: Flying lesssons

**A/N: Hello again. This chapter isn't the longest i have ever written and i think it will be a while before i break the 15k word marker again but my chapters should all be at least 10k words. I hope you enjoy.**

When Harry woke on Saturday he found his brother still sound asleep and decided to get dressed and go down to the common room to wait. When he reached the common room he noticed that a new flier on the notice board.

 _Attention Students beginning this week flying lessons will be offered to all students please check below to find the times for your year and house._

Harry didn't need flying lessons as he has now been flying for a while now, and to be honest neither did Merlyn even though he had no where near Harry's talent he still wasn't a bad flier. But then it would be nice to fly again, he would tell Merlyn about it once he joined him in the common room. He heard someone coming down the stairs and turned expecting his brother but to his surprise it was Hermione lugging her school bag which looked to be filled to the brim with books. "Hermione what are you doing? I thought you had finished all your homework already."

"I did but you promised to help tutor me. Remember?" Hermione asked. Harry let out a small chuckle, he had yet to meet anyone who liked to learn more than Hermione.

"That's true but it's the weekend Hermione. You know time to have fun."

"But learning is fun!" Hermione said trying to figure out how Harry couldn't think it was fun.

"Hermione why don't you go get changed and join us outside for a bit." came Merlyn's voice from the boy's dormitory stairs. "We are going to spar for a bit. You should join us."

"Spar? As in fight? No thank you I don't like fighting." Hermione replied. After all who actually liked fighting. "You two shouldn't be fighting you could get hurt."

"We aren't fighting, we're sparing." Harry told her. "Besides the fact that it is fun, we promised our mom that we would keep up with it."

"Why on earth would your mother want you to fight!?" Hermione asked taken aback. Why would any parent for that matter?

"Our mom was in SO-19, and says that everyone should know how to defend themselves so she teaches us self defense. Honestly she would probably have a fit if she found out we hadn't done any training for over a week." A shiver ran down the brothers spines at the memory of what happened the last time they didn't practice. They were spending a week with their aunt and uncle, when their parents returned from their vacation on the continent and found out that they didn't practice at all while they were away their mom went ballistic. She took them into the back yard and told them that if they could beat her then she would forgive them. The two got ready and while they knew there was no way they could win they still tried their best. Apparently their best wasn't up to their mom's standards, she knocked them around as if they were nothing. The following week their mom worked them to the bone and at the end simply said that she wouldn't have to do this if they had just practiced. Never again did the boys skip their training. Turning to Merlyn he added, "Now that I think about it we should probably train longer to make up the time just in case mom finds out." Merlyn quickly nodded in agreement. "Hermione you really should join us, it really is a lot of fun once you get the basics down. Think of it as another form of learning." Harry said trying to appeal to her inquisitive nature.

Hermione had to give it some thought. They weren't going to tutor her until after they finished anyway, and truth be told she didn't feel like studying alone as she had come to enjoy being around her friends. Finally she decided that she would go and watch just to see what it was all about, after all what they said did make sense everyone probably should know how to defend themselves. But she would take a book along just in case. "Alright, I'll come but just to watch. Let me go change real quick." with that Hermione headed back upstairs leaving the two boys alone in the common room. She soon came back down dressed in some more comfortable clothing with a book under her arm. "I'm ready." and with that the three made their way down to the lake. When they made it down to the lake the group began stretching.

Harry soon noticed that Hermione was stretching incorrectly and if he didn't do anything she could hurt herself. "Hermione stop." Hermione stood up wondering what was wrong. "If you keep trying to stretch like that you will hurt yourself. You need to relax and let gravity do the work. Now lean over again and don't force it. Go slowly." Hermione once again leaned forward to touch her toes. She couldn't reach she just wasn't very flexible. Seeming to read her thoughts Harry put his hand on her back. Making Hermione glad that she was leaning over so Harry couldn't see her blush. "Now don't bounce just relax. If you can't touch your toes don't worry about it you will be able to soon enough if you keep stretching regularly. Don't hold your breath, breathe Hermione." She did as she was told and took a deep breath, "Don't force it just breathe normally and remember let gravity do the work. Good, now hold this position for thirty seconds. She did it was really uncomfortable but Hermione focused on her breathing. That also had the added bonus of taking her mind off of the hand that was resting on her back. "Do you feel alright?" Harry asked at her silence.

"It is a bit uncomfortable." Hermione said a bit of strain in her voice.

"And now slowly stand back up. How does it feel?" Harry asked.

"I feel a little sore actually." Hermione responded. She noticed that Harry kept his hand on her back and her blush started creeping back up her face.

"Good that is how it should feel. The soreness will go away in time and eventually you will simply feel loose and relaxed after you stretch. Alright we will do it a few more times. Now just like before go slowly and let gravity do the work. Listen to your body it will tell you everything you need to know like when you are about to go to far. While it is always good to push yourself to go farther when you exercise you need to know your limit's so that you don't hurt yourself." Harry advised as they continued.

Merlyn was watching Harry and Hermione and noticed Hermione's blush. He simply shook his head and continued his stretching as he thought about just how clueless his brother was. He hadn't heard from Ginny since Kasper's last flight but he wasn't worried he knew that Kasper would probably be enjoying getting pampered by Ginny for a while longer and he thought that his owl deserved some pampering after the two days of almost nonstop flying. His thoughts then wondered to the picture of the girl on his bedside table who was doing all the pampering. He didn't even notice that a smile had appeared on his face.

"Way to go Hermione." Harry told her after she finished all of her stretches. "I know that it is a little tiring at first but once you get used to it the feeling becomes very enjoyable." Hermione just nodded as she breathed deeply. She was sweating profusely and this wasn't even the warm up. This was the bloody warm up for the warm up. "Alright now that we are all done stretching we can start the warm up. We will be running around the lake." Hermione looked at him as if he had gone mad.

"What there is no way we can run that!"

"It is a bit long but I think we can do it. Don't worry if you can't make it the whole way. We will stay with you, won't we Lynn?"

"Absolutely, we won't leave you behind." Merlyn answered while finishing up his stretches. That made Hermione smile. The group made their way around the lake but didn't even get halfway before Hermione started breathing hard. Harry motioned to Merlyn so that he would slow down. "Breathe Hermione." Merlyn told her. "Deep breathes, in...out...in...out. There you go we will be doing this slow jog for the rest of the way. Don't talk just listen to the sound of my voice and focus on it. We are almost a quarter of the way done. Come on." Merlyn kept talking and he knew that she would push herself and early on he found that if he kept telling himself he had only done half of what he had actually accomplished he would push harder. And by the time his brain cut through all of his internal propaganda he would have already finished. He only hoped it worked just as well with Hermione. Hermione's eyes glazed over and she started pushing harder she would not be beaten by only a quarter of a lap. Halfway that was her goal. Merlyn kept up a constant stream of speech as the passed the three quarter mark. Hermione was breathing incredibly hard by this point. "Alright we are almost half way done. Once we get halfway we will take a break keep pushing Hermione. And we are done!"

Hermione fell on the ground panting. Harry hurriedly picked her back up. "Put your hands on your head. Don't fall." Harry told her as he wrapped an arm around her waist to keep her standing. Hermione looked as though she were in pain but she complied and raised her arms. It took a good five minutes before she could stand on her own and looked around. They were back where they had started! "Wait we are back where we started!" Merlyn gave a quick chuckle.

"Yep, you did great Hermione!"

"But you said we were only halfway!" Hermione shouted in astonishment.

"It is a little trick I picked up when I was having trouble making the distance. Basically you trick yourself into continuing." Hermione was awed that was amazing she had no idea she could make it all the way around. Now the pain hit her and she fell on her but rubbing her legs.

"I know you are probably hurting from the run but you can't sit yet you need to walk. Trust me no more tricks." Harry said as he placed her arm around her shoulder and helped her up. "Lynn we will take a cool down lap. Why don't you get started on your forms." Harry suggested. Merlyn simply nodded and got down into one of his stances as Harry started walking with a half limping Hermione. "Lynn is a bit of a task master but you can't argue with his results." Hermione could only nod as they began to make their way around the lake yet again. "Feeling any better?" Harry asked after a bit of walking.

"A little but I have a feeling that this will stick with me for a few days." Hermione answered keeping her feet moving one after another.

"It probably will and don't worry that is normal at least until you get used to the exorcise then the feeling goes away altogether."

"Ouch!" Hermione exclaimed clutching her leg. "Harry it hurts so much!"

"Shit! You've got a cramp. Relax sit down." Hermione didn't need telling twice as she plopped on her butt still clutching her calf. Harry moved quickly and kneeled down in front of her. "Let go I can help it." He ordered Hermione quickly complied. Harry grabbed her calf and started massaging it. The moment Harry started to work her calf responded by loosening up a bit and Hermione gave a sigh of relief. "There we go just relax." Harry said softly as if trying to guide a spooked animal. "You're doing great. So have you decided where you want to start your tutoring?" He asked trying to distract her.

"Um, I was thinking transfiguration, then charms. It's feeling better thank you." Hermione said. She soon realized that she really liked this feeling and blushed bright red when she looked up and saw Harry's brilliant green eyes staring right back at her. She thanked god that her face was already very red from the run.

"Don't worry you should take a break for tomorrow and we can pick up again on Monday." Hermione looked horrified when she heard this. "I promise it gets better. Besides I didn't take you for a girl who gives up." He said trying to light a fire in her.

"I'm not!" Hermione shouted. She then began thinking about how Harry and Merlyn weren't even breathing hard. Plus this massage felt really good. "Alright Monday it is. But um…Harry?"

"Yes?"

"Would you um… help me like this after our runs?" Hermione asked.

"Sure, anything for a friend, Hermione." Harry told her with a smile. Hermione was happy he would, but for some reason her stomach tightened when he said friend. She quickly shook her head to clear it.

"Thanks Harry."

It took a little while for them to make their way around the rest of the lake. After the massage Hermione was able to walk on her own but Harry was right there ready to help her should she need it. Hermione was very happy by the time they made it back. "You two have a good stroll?" Merlyn asked when he saw them.

"Yeah, it was nice and relaxing." Harry told his brother as Hermione blushed which was now visible since she had cooled down during the walk. Merlyn just shook his head while thinking about how hopelessly clueless his brother was. "Hermione I think you have had enough for today. Why don't you just watch today and we will start you off on Monday." Hermione nodded happy that she was done for the day. She went over to where she left her book and took a seat. The book however never even crossed her mind as she watched the two boys go at it. She had to admit that they looked like they were having fun even if they took a few hits. It was an hour later when they were heading back to the castle for breakfast, they were all starving. Hermione even forgot her book and Harry had to push it into her arms before she even remembered she had brought it. When they made it to the Great Hall it was entirely deserted, apparently the rest of the school took the weekend as a chance to sleep in. Normally when they ate together Hermione would simply sit with the brothers but today for some reason she really wanted to sit next to Harry.

Harry and Merlyn had laden their plates quite heavily and began eating slowly they knew it was a bad idea to eat to fast after a workout. Hermione merely picked a few eggs and some bacon. "Hermione you need to eat more or your body won't have the energy it needs." Harry admonished.

Hermione looked down at her plate before glancing at Harry, "But I don't want to get fat." She may not have put too much stock in her looks as she wasn't pretty anyway but she really didn't want to get fat and add more things people could make fun of her for.

"Don't be silly you won't get fat. Doing these exercises every morning takes a lot out of you. You need to replace all the nutrients that you lost. Trust me Hermione you don't need to worry about your looks." Harry told her with a smile. Hermione however felt as though she had just been slapped. Tears began forming as she pushed herself up and ran from the Great Hall. "What happened!?"

"Harry you idiot! She thinks you just called her ugly!" Merlyn yelled at his brother. "Get your arse up and go after her!" Harry didn't waste a second before he leapt to his feet and ran after her. Merlyn had never been happier that he had taken after his uncle Sirius when it came to girls. Girls may chase after him but at least he never made girls cry and he was working on finding out what he was doing wrong. The only problem was he could swear he talked to girls just like his uncle. In any case Harry had better fix this.

Harry was busy running after Hermione. He was far behind her but he was able to catch a glimpse of her before she rounded the corner. He was very grateful everyone else was still asleep as the only reason he even had an idea of where Hermione went was from the sounds of her footsteps. He heard a door slam just before he turned the last corner. 'Shit. Where did she go?' Harry did the only thing he could think of. He went door to door and checked every room for any sign of Hermione. Eventually the only door left was to the girls restroom. He took a deep breath before he slowly opened the door. The sounds of sobbing made him feel horrible. "Hermione? Hermione, it's me."

"Go away! You're just like everyone else! Just leave me alone!"Hermione screamed at him from inside one of the stalls before throwing the door open. She was angrier than she had ever been. She built up walls to make sure this never happened. But Harry had blown them all apart over the past week and today out by the lake he shattered the final one. "No in fact you're worse! You made me think I actually had friends! Actually had people who cared for me!" And with that she slapped him as hard as she could. Harry took the slap and a bright red hand print appeared on his cheek. "Why are you even here?" She asked her anger almost gone with that slap and now only sadness remained.

"Hermione I wasn't calling you ugly! I swear!" Harry wasn't sure what else to say.

"I know I'm not pretty like the other girls! I have bushy hair, and big teeth! I already knew I wasn't pretty but you were supposed to be my friend!" Hermione shouted as she fell to her knees and broke down crying. "Please just go." She begged.

"Hermione please listen to me I am so sorry that I made you cry." Harry said kneeling down in front of her and grabbing her shoulders. "Hermione you're not ugly at all!" Harry was speaking as fast as he could trying to tell Hermione that it was all just a misunderstanding. "Hermione please think about what happened down by the lake! Would I have apologized on the train for turning you pink if I didn't care? Would I agree to tutor you if I didn't care? How about down by the lake? I care about you Hermione! And besides all that you're really pretty! I meant what I said you don't have to worry about your looks because you are pretty just the way you are!" Harry didn't know what else he could say so he did the only thing he could think of and pulled her into a tight hug.

Hermione was speechless. How could she have forgotten about the lake? It was only a few hours ago. And then on top of it he said that he thought she was pretty. Her! She didn't believe him at all until she looked up and into his eyes that screamed of his honesty. 'He really does care and thinks I'm p-p-pretty.' Hermione thought as she found herself being pulled into a tight embrace. Hermione wrapped her arms around Harry while she buried her face in the crook of Harry's neck. She felt safe in his arms as a warmth started spreading from her gut eventually encompassing her entire body.

It had been ten minutes and still no sign of either Harry or Hermione. Merlyn was becoming worried. Maybe Hermione cursed Harry and ran back to her dorm. He really hoped not, Harry didn't really deserve to be cursed for being a clueless idiot. He was about to go searching for them himself when he saw the two enter the Great Hall side by side. The fact that both of them were smiling was a good sign. At least his brother could apologize well. "So is everything settled?" he asked the two when they had reached him.

"Yes everything is fine." Hermione answered.

"Good, I was about to go look for you myself. Now come on and lets eat. I'm starved and I will be making sure you eat enough." He added to Hermione with a smile on his face.

Hermione giggled at that. "Don't worry I will eat enough to make you two wonder if I am related to Ron." The three got a good laugh out of that one. They ate their meal with a good bit of laughter as Harry and Merlyn regaled Hermione with stories of some of their more spectacular potion brewing mishaps. Afterwards they went to find an unused classroom so that they could start tutoring Hermione.

"Hermione do you still want to work on transfiguration today?" Harry asked and with a confirming nod for Hermione continued. "Well then allow me to introduce your instructor for today please welcome the great and powerful Professor Ashwood!" Harry said giving his brother a flashy introduction.

"Please hold your applause till the end of the class." Merlyn's voice rang out as if he was indeed teaching an entire class and not just Hermione. Hermione let out a giggle at his display. "Now to begin I will tell you the flaw of most wizards who practice this art." Merlyn was walking around the teacher's desk at the front of the class being as grandiose as possible before walking up to Hermione and taking the seat directly across from her. Hermione tried her best to stop giggling but she just couldn't. "They only use their magic to transfigure. Well that is not the way. You should treat your magic as a conduit for your will and imagination. Most wizards believe that they supply the power and that the magic itself does all the work which is true in a way, but if wizards knew this little secret casting transfiguration spells would become far easier."

"So how did you figure this out Professor?" Hermione asked. After all how could all of the wizards who have ever lived not picked up on this.

"Well to be honest, I didn't. My dad did. You see dad loves magic and, even though he is a muggle, is a genius. So when he found out about the magical world he bought a lot of books to learn as much as he could. So when our uncle Sirius first started teaching us transfiguration he explained everything to us almost exactly like our aunt Minerva did in our first class. And just like in our first class we were given matchsticks to turn into needles. I was able to do it after a few tries but Harry was having a bit of a hard time so our dad went over to him and gave him the exact same advice that Harry gave you and he was able to do it on his next try. The look on our uncles face was priceless." Harry and Merlyn both laughed at the memory. "And when he asked dad how he had thought of that he said it was like a construction site. You see our magic is like the construction workers who are moving the materials around and actually building the building. And if you tell a bunch of workers to build you a house they will but it will take longer and cost more to fix mistakes than if they had a foreman directing them. He reasoned that we were the foreman so we should have the blueprints ready and then when he directs the workers the job gets done faster and more efficiently." Hermione was stunned. Out of all the books she read never once had she read anything like that, and whats more is that it made perfect sense. "You see wizards have been doing things the same way for millennia and just thought that the way they did things was the only way. He figured that some of the more powerful wizards through the ages had figured out the secret but either they didn't realize that they were doing it differently then everyone else or they knew and simply didn't want to share the knowledge for some reason." By this time Hermione's mouth was hanging open.

"That...That's brilliant! But why hasn't he told anyone? That is a major discovery!"

"Well he said that we needed to keep it secret for some reason. He didn't tell us why just that it was very important. Besides according to our uncle the wizarding world wouldn't believe him anyway, since he is a muggle." Harry explained. "So that means that you can't tell anyone either."

Hermione nodded solemnly. She believed all knowledge should be shared but after all they were entrusting this to her. "So why tell me then?"

"Because you are our friend and we trust you." Harry said not missing a beat.

"And so for the rest of this tutoring session you will be practicing. It actually sounds a lot easier than it is." Merlyn told her as he pulled out a box of matches. "Our uncle still has a lot of trouble with it since he has been transfiguring the traditional way all his life. It's kind of like learning to ride a bike. If you learned how to ride a bike by riding it backwards and had been doing it all your life trying to ride it the correct way would be uncomfortable and difficult. Now lets get started. They spent the rest of the day watching Hermione transfigure matches into needles and back again. By the time they were done Hermione had a splitting headache and she still hadn't even gotten close to having it down yet.

"See it sounds a lot easier then it is. Just remember that not everything you read or are taught is necessarily the best way to do something. Neither books or people are infallible after all." Harry told her as they were walking down to the Great Hall for dinner. They had missed lunch due to the fact that Hermione didn't want to stop. "Oh by the way I almost forgot, flying lessons start this week. Now I know we don't really need them but since we weren't allowed to bring our brooms it would be a good chance to get back in the air."

"Yea, sounds good to me." Merlyn said.

"How about you Hermione?" Harry asked.

"Um well I am kind of afraid of heights." She admitted.

"Hermione you have nothing to worry about." Harry reassured her. "Besides we will be there to catch you if you fall." Hermione lit up at this and agreed to at least give it a try. After dinner they returned to the common room and played a game of exploding snap until it was almost midnight. At first Hermione wanted to spend her time working on her transfiguration some more but Harry talked her out of it saying that her brain like all of her other muscles needed to rest and relax. That plus the fact that her head was still pounding is what got her to agree to the game. When they eventually looked up they found a deserted common room.

"Well I think I'm going to turn in don't stay up too late you two." Merlyn yawned before heading up stairs.

Harry was about to do the same when he saw Hermione rub her temples again. "Is your head still hurting?"

"Yes, it wouldn't be so bad if my legs didn't hurt as well." Hermione grimaced.

"Hermione." Harry breathed out in sympathy. "Here put your legs up on the couch and lean against the armrest." She did not knowing what was going on until Harry sat in front of her and started rubbing one of her calves. She let out an involuntary sigh of relief the moment he started. His massages were like magic. The massage was not only helping her leg as the second he began the pounding in her head lessened considerably. Hermione was in heaven as she let the feeling of Harry's massage flow over her. She was brought out of her euphoria when she heard Harry speak to her. "Hermione I don't want you to do any studying tomorrow." Hermione was scandalized no studying.

"But I don't want to fall behind and I still need to work on my transfiguration!"

"Hermione listen to me. You won't fall behind, you are probably the smartest witch at Hogwarts and you have already finished all of your homework. Your head is hurting because you overworked it. You need to let it relax. I promise you won't fall behind and not even Merlyn or I ever worked as hard as you did today. We only worked on transfiguration for about an hour a day. You will get it and it will get easier but you need to give it time. Please I'm worried about you." When Hermione looked him in his green eyes she saw so much caring and concern she just couldn't bring herself to say no.

"Alright." She said a little dejectedly. Causing Harry to give her a relieved smile. He knew she loved to read and study so he wasn't quite sure how she would take this or if she would even agree to it. Hermione leaned back against the armrest and let Harry's magical fingers do their work. She was disappointed when she felt his hands leave her legs but suddenly looked up as she felt Harry remove her shoes and socks and started to give her feet a massage. If she thought she was in heaven before she was horribly mistaken this was heaven. She felt as if every ache and pain she had were melting away. Every now and then a moan of pleasure would escape her lips. She wasn't sure how long he continued, as far as Hermione was concerned an eternity of this wouldn't be enough. But he eventually did put her feet back down on the sofa. She sat up and slowly swung her legs down off the sofa as she scooted closer to Harry. She felt her cheeks heat up when she met his brilliant green eyes.

"How are you feeling?" Harry asked.

"I feel better than I ever have. Thank you Harry." Her pulse quickened and her cheeks reddened even more when Harry met her eyes and gave her that roguish grin at her answer. She bent down and picked up her shoes her eyes never leaving his. Before she could think about what she was about to do she quickly bent over and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. "Goodnight Harry." She said before taking off to the girls dormitory. When she closed the door behind her she turned around and leaned against it. She was mortified, 'What did I just do?' she bit her lip and couldn't stop the smile appearing on her face. It was official she liked Harry Potter. She quietly made her way over to her bed and got changed, her last thoughts before sleep claimed her were of the cutest, sweetest, and kindest boy she had ever met.

Harry couldn't bring himself to move. What had just happened? Why would she kiss him? 'She must have just been thankful for the massage. She was in a lot of pain after all.' Harry thought to himself as he made his way up to join his brother.

"What took you so long?" His brother asked when he walked into the dorm room.

"Well Hermione's legs were hurting her so I gave her a massage." Merlyn's eyes widened at this. "Then for some reason she kissed me." Oh this was getting to good Merlyn was fighting with all his might not to smile.

"Oh well why do you think she kissed you?"

"She was obviously thankful that she wasn't in pain anymore. That's all." Harry answered. Merlyn fell back into his bed with one word screaming in his mind, 'CLUELESS!'

The days seemed to fly by, every morning the trio would wake up extra early to go exercising. Hermione would exercise but still wouldn't take part in the sparing preferring to rest and watch the two boys fight. She still couldn't understand how they found this fun but the smile on Harry's face always made her happy. True to his word Harry would give her legs a rub down to help with the pain. In fact she found herself pushing harder and harder each day simply for those massages. And true to her word she cut back on her studying although this being Hermione she still studied more than anyone else. She also found that even though the two brothers were better than her with magic she simply outshone them when it came to their homework. She thought it only fair that since they were tutoring her she should tutor them when it came to writing essays. They loved their classes and it was safe to say that the three quickly became the top students in their year. Well they didn't love all of their classes Potions was always a terrible experience what with both Snape strutting around and taking points off for breathing wrong. Even Hermione who adored the teachers thought he was being a grumpy git. It was a good thing that Harry and Merlyn had already done these potions with their father because with the way Snape taught they would not have learned a thing. And then there was Defense against the Dark Arts, it was a joke of a class. Professor Quirrell always stuttered and smelled of garlic. Finally the day for their first flying lesson arrived. The three friends were currently down in the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione was a bundle of nerves. She didn't think she eat a single bite. Harry and Merlyn had quite a time getting her to take a few bites. Just as they had finally gotten Hermione to start eating they were interrupted by Kasper landing in front of them. Merlyn was ecstatic to have his owl back and only noticed the letter when Kasper hooted and offered Merlyn his leg. Quick as a flash Merlyn untied the letter and began reading.

 _Dear Merlyn,_

 _Thank you so much for letting Kasper stay with me. He is the most handsome owl I have ever seen. I wish the last week was as exciting for me as your first day was for you. I'm afraid that the most exciting thing that I get to do is de-gnoming the garden. It was so nice having Kasper here, he would even dance with me when the Weird Sisters would play a song on the wireless. Mom has been trying to teach me to knit again. I can't tell you how much I hate knitting. She always knits jumpers for us for Christmas and as there are seven of us she needs to start early. Every year she tries to get me to help and like clockwork every year I end up jabbing myself with the knitting needles. At least during the summer I could go out to the shed and grab one of my brother's brooms and go for a flight, but they took them to Hogwarts so I am stuck with spending my time with Kasper, which isn't a bad way to spend my time, or learning to cook from my mom. Hopefully this year I won't jab myself too much more before she lets me off the hook. I am already looking forward to your next letter please write soon. I'll be waiting._

 _Your friend,_

 _Ginny_

"So how's Ginny?" Harry asked. Harry had told Hermione all about Merlyn's crush much to Merlyn's annoyance.

"She's having knitting troubles." Merlyn responded with a slight chuckle.

After some good natured ribbing the three were soon heading to their first flying lesson, well Hermione's first flying lesson. When they arrived they found two rows of brooms and found three free brooms that were next to each other. Soon everyone had arrived and chosen a broom.

"Welcome everyone to your first flying lesson." Came the voice of their instructor Madam Hooch. "Well what are you waiting for? Everyone step up to the left side of your broom. Now stick your right hand over it and say 'Up'." There was a collective cry of "Up" but only a few brooms seemed to react. Harry and Merlyn's brooms immediately jumped into their hands. So did Draco Malfoy's, a prick from Slytherin, and Ron Weasleys. Everyone else continued to shout at their brooms. Hermione wasn't having much luck. Harry moved over a bit took her hand and gave it a slight squeeze.

"Remember relax." Harry whispered before letting go of her hand and moving back to his position not noticing the blush on her face. But just because he didn't notice doesn't mean that Merlyn didn't. He had also noticed that Hermione seemed to be a bit down of late although she always hid it when Harry was around. He would need to talk to her at some point. At her next 'Up' the broom jumped right into her hand and she beamed at Harry who gave her his signature roguish grin which did nothing to stop the reddening blush on her cheeks. It wasn't too much longer before everyone had their broom in their hands. "Now everyone mount your brooms and when I tell you push off against the ground hard. Hover for a few seconds then lean forward slightly and touch back down. Ready? On my whistle three...two..." Unfortunately Neville Longbottom jumped the gun and began zooming off towards the sky. When he had gone about thirty meters up he slipped off his broom and fell to the ground with a loud 'thump'. "Everyone out of the way!" Madame Hooch shouted as she ran over to Neville. "Oh dear it looks like a broken wrist. Everyone is to keep their feet firmly on the ground as I take Mr. Longbottom to the hospital wing. Understand? If I see a single broom in the air the one riding it will find themselves out of Hogwarts before you can say 'Quidditch'.

While everyone was watching the pair leave Draco picked up a clear glass orb from the grass. "That stupid oaf. Maybe if the fat lump had given this a squeeze he would have remembered to fall on his fat arse." Draco said while laughing.

Harry never liked the jerk and he wasn't going to let him take that glass orb from Neville. "Give it here Malfoy."

"No I think I'll leave it somewhere for Longbottom to find. How about up in a tree?" He said as he kicked off the ground. He had been bragging about how well he could fly all week. The trio had just written it off as one of his meaningless stories. He could indeed fly.

Harry mounted his broom but paused when he heard someone call his name. He turned around to find Hermione looking very nervous. "Don't worry I'll be fine just stay here okay?" When she nodded he turned to Merlyn who by this time was already on his broom. True he wasn't as good as Harry but he would be damned if he let his brother go into a fight alone. Then as one the two brothers kicked off of the ground. Merlyn began trying to distract the prick as Harry snuck up on him from behind. Unfortunately some Slytherin yelled out to him at the last second and he sped away.

By now Draco knew he was outclassed so the only thing to do was cut his losses. "You want it so bad? Then go get it!" He yelled as he threw the glass orb into the forbidden forest. Both boys began racing to get to Neville's orb. Harry went into a steep dive. The ground was getting closer and closer. Then a meter off the ground Harry plucked the orb out of the air and pulled up as hard as he could so he wouldn't crash.

"Whew, you had me worried there for a little bit. I know your good but damn!" Merlyn yelled as he gave Harry a high five while they were flying back to the rest of the stunned class. When they landed Hermione caught them both up in a hug as the rest of the class surrounded them. They were convincing Hermione that they were fine when a shrill voice called out, "Harry James Potter!" uh oh, it was their aunt Minerva. They were screwed and while they knew she wouldn't expel them it was never good when she used full names.

"Yes, Professor?" Harry answered, soon the Gryffindors were trying to explain what happened but it seemed as though Professor McGonagall was hearing none of it.

"Mr. Potter please come with me." Together the two walked back to the castle.

"Aunt Minerva I'm sorry that I flew but I couldn't just let Malfoy take Neville's ball!" Harry pleaded. He knew that he wouldn't be expelled since it was his aunt Minerva but she could still be pretty harsh. Minerva for her part didn't say a word. They ended up at a large wooden door, Harry had not been paying attention to where they were going only focusing on trying to lighten his punishment.

Minerva opened the door to Professor Quirrell's Defense Against the Dark Arts class. "Professor Quirrell may I borrow Wood for a moment please." Minerva asked. This was his punishment? Being beaten with a piece of wood? Wood however turned out to be a person. Minerva then led her two students to an empty classroom. "Harry this is Oliver Wood, captain of the Gryffindor quidditch team. Wood I have found you a seeker!"

Wood's face immediately changed from puzzled to look as though both his birthday and Christmas had come early. "Are you serious Professor!?" Wood asked in glee. He then began going off on how Harry was perfect for the position but that he would need a broom and a good one.

"I'm sure I can arrange something and we can send for Mr. Potters broom of course. Train hard Harry or I might just change my mind about punishing you." His aunt Minerva said as she was leaving the room.

Hermione and Merlyn had just watched Harry be led away by Professor McGonagall. Hermione was about to go after them and explain everything to the Professor they couldn't expel him. They just couldn't! But Merlyn stopped her after her first step. "Hermione stop."

"But we need to tell the Professor what happened! We can't let them expel Harry! We have to do something!" Hermione went on in a whisper so as not to draw the attention of the other students who were gazing off in Harry's direction.

"Hermione, don't you think I would be at least a little worried if I thought Harry even had the chance of being expelled?" Hermione fidgeted as she thought about it. "Trust me our aunt Minerva would never expel Harry." And looking in his deep brown eyes she did. That thought calmed her down as Merlyn continued on. "So about that kiss?" 'Oh my God, Harry told him about the kiss! Of course he did he is his brother after all! But oh dear!' Hermione thought as her blush reached new levels from both the memory and embarrassment. 'Did Merlyn not approve? What should I say?' Hermione bit her lip giving Merlyn a shy glance. Merlyn saw the look and could take a guess at just what she was thinking. "Calm down. I think it's great." Hermione's eyes widened.

"You...you do?"

"Yes. He needs someone to ground him, I mean did you see him fly. You know when we first met I was the risk taker and had to practically beg Harry to pull a prank. Over the last few years however he has far surpassed me when it comes to taking risks. But you should know something. I've seen the way you are when Harry isn't looking. You shouldn't be worried about anything. My brother is as clueless as they come. Hell he thinks you just gave him that kiss to thank him for giving your legs a rub down." Merlyn told her with a sad chuckle. 'Did Merlyn, the definition of clueless, really just call his brother clueless?' Hermione thought followed soon after by the phrase 'Takes one to know one.' she supposed. "Just don't give up alright. The only problem I can think of is that he might come to see you more as a sister than, well, a pretty girl who likes him." Hermione had never thought of that. She really liked Harry and didn't want to be thought of as just a sister figure. "Now I'll do my best to make sure that doesn't happen, but I would ask that you don't tell him your feelings yet. You see apart from you Harry has only ever had one friend, me. I don't think he is ready to have a girlfriend. And if he takes too long to realize how you feel well I think I might just give him a nudge or two." he said giving her his heart melting grin. For some reason it didn't have the same effect on her that it did on the train. Well not as profound an effect anyway.

When Madame hooch returned and told everyone to get back in their lines Merlyn leaned over and whispered, "I know I'm not Harry but I promise I won't let you fall either." Hermione gave him a grateful smile as she mounted her broom.

The two met back up with Harry at lunch. "Hey you two won't believe this!" Harry said in a conspiratorially. "Aunt Minerva didn't punish me at all. In fact you are looking at the new seeker for the Gryffindor Quidditch team!" The two next to him were stunned. They were sure that he wouldn't be expelled but to be put on the quidditch team was a privilege not a punishment. "But keep it a secret Wood, the captain, wants me to be the secret weapon in the first match." Harry said with a grin that nearly split his face.

"Wow and you get to bring your broom to school! That's fantastic. I might have to borrow it every once in a while. Oh, I just thought of something, you know how Hermione is afraid of heights?" Harry nodded as Hermione's cheeks reddened in embarrassment. "Well maybe if you took her flying it might help her with it." Merlyn suggested taking this opportunity to give Hermione some Harry time.

Harry turned to Hermione. "Sure. Would you want to give it a try?" Hermione only nodded not trusting her voice and feeling rather grateful to Merlyn.

"Oh and I think I have figured out our next prank. What do you think about brewing a sticking solution?" Merlyn asked while knocking on the bench he was sitting on. Harry got a mischievous glint in his eyes. Hermione however didn't look to comfortable with this. "Hermione don't worry it will wear off after about half an hour. Just long enough for everyone to be stuck until classes start." Hermione looked a little less uncomfortable at the admission. After all if they were included in the prank then she didn't think they would be found out to get in trouble. "There is one more thing I don't think we can brew all the potion we need in just our cauldrons. I was thinking that maybe we should enlist some help from those twins who painted us on the train. It seemed like they enjoyed a good laugh. Hell after the shock of being turned into clowns wore off I heard that they were dancing up and down the train honking each others noses."

"Sure, but we won't have anywhere near enough solution for at least a month, even with their help. I've heard people talking about the Halloween feast. Now we don't want to mess with anyone's celebration so I think we should aim for Halloween morning." Harry said. "Hermione you'll help right?" Harry asked turning towards her. "Please, I promise it will be hilarious."

"I suppose. Promise we won't get caught?"

"There is no way we will be caught! We actually did this before on our parents. And they only punish us if they catch us."

Hermione could hardly believe her ears. "You mean your parents actually encourage you to pull pranks?"

"Yea but only with magic. They say that it is great practical experience." Merlyn answered. Hermione still wasn't sure but she couldn't argue with that logic. And she saw just how good Harry and Merlyn were with magic. Maybe this could actually help her. "Good, now I think we should talk to the twins after dinner tonight. The sooner we get started brewing the better."

That night they found the twins huddled in a corner in the common room. "So what are you two up to?" Harry asked startling the twins. "Planning another prank?"

"No of-"

"Course not!" The twins said a little too quickly. Merlyn decided to play along.

"Well that's to bad your last one was great!" Merlyn told them. Shocking the twins even more. "But since you are free we could use your help." Merlyn then proceeds to tell them their plan. The twins jaws slowly dropped with each sentence Merlyn uttered. "So what do you think? Will you give us a hand?"

"In pranking the whole-"

"School? We're in!"

"I don't think we have been properly introduced." One of the twins said offering his hand. "I'm Fred Weasley."

"And I'm George Weasley." The other twin said offering his hand as well.

"I'm Merlyn Ashwood." Merlyn said grabbing Fred's hand.

"And I'm his brother Harry Potter." This bit of news shocked the twins as Harry took George's hand. "And this is our friend Hermione Granger." And everyone shook everyone's hands. The twins were almost certain after what Harry had told them on the train about pranking a Marauder, that He and Merlyn were who did the fireworks at the sorting feast. They certainly weren't going to pass up the chance to find out if they were correct.

After they went to bed Merlyn sat at his desk writing a letter to Ginny before turning in. Harry was also writing a couple of letters. One was to his parents and the other was to his aunt and uncle. Once the letters were flying off with Kasper and Hedwig the two boys went to bed.

The next morning at the Ashwood residence Sirius and Emily had come over for breakfast. Maria was currently examining the beautiful ring on her best friend's hand. "Well it's about time isn't it?"

"Long overdue if you ask me. But I will say that my fiance most definitely made it up to me with the proposal he gave. He took me to France supposedly for a little vacation at the beach. Then right there as the sun was setting he knelt down and proposed in his swimsuit. The entire proposal wreaked of Sirius and it was the most romantic sight." Emily said with a blissful sigh. "The only thing is now I don't have a reason to not retire. I mean Sirius has more than enough money and the house is paid off. But I think I will put off my retirement as much as possible."

Meanwhile in the kitchen Sirius was giving his rendition of his proposal to John. "So have you heard anything from your friend Remus?"

Sirius shook his head. "I would have thought he would have replied by now I mean he hasn't responded to one of my letters. Even if he hadn't read them he should of at least read about my trial in the prophet. I know sometimes people need to sort things out and I've tried to give it to him but two years? If I don't hear from him soon I will track him down myself and find out exactly what is going on. We have been friends for too long for him not to at least give me an explanation."

Their conversation was interrupted by a white snowy owl flying in through the kitchen window. And landing in front of the pair. "Hedwig did you bring us some news from Harry?" John asked as a great grey owl flapped to the island from the top of the fridge to join Hedwig. Bones hadn't seen his friend in a few weeks and was happy she was back. John untied the two letters and let Hedwig go off and play with the family owl, Bones. He handed Sirius his letter and began reading his.

 _Dad,_

 _The last two weeks have been amazing! We made a new friend named Hermione Granger. She has even been joining us on our morning runs but for some reason she doesn't want to join our sparing. Anyway I promise to write you a longer letter and tell you about everything that has happened but today something amazing happened. While we were at our first flying lesson a prat named Draco Malfoy took something that belonged to a guy named Neville. Neville is a good guy but really shy. Anyway Draco threw the ball into the forbidden forest and I dived after it and caught it only a meter off the ground! Well Aunt Minerva saw me and came to take me away. I thought I was going to be punished because we weren't supposed to be flying, but instead I became the new Gryffindor SEEKER! Can you believe it? Anyway I need you to send me my broom as practices are going to start soon._

 _Love,_

 _Harry_

 _P.S Merlyn sends his love too._

Both men finished reading their letters, which were almost the exact same except Harry asked Sirius for a favor in his, at the same time. "Holly shit!" Sirius shouted. "He has got to be the youngest quidditch player in at least a century! Just like his dad he is a natural on a broom. I knew the kid had talent but damn!" John was smiling wide. He was so proud of his son. "Hey John I think this deserves a reward. Why don't you let me get him a new broom in honor of the occasion?"

"Sure but we will split the cost. I can't wait to tell Maria and Emily."

That same morning at the Burrow Ginny was sitting at the table with her mother and father having a quiet breakfast. That is it was quiet until a now familiar eagle owl swooped in and landed in front of Ginny. Arthur Weasley was a little surprised. For the past two weeks he had been working almost twenty hour days at the office to clear a recent spike in muggle baiting. Last night he had finally finished and returned home at almost midnight to find that yet again his beautiful daughter and wife were sound asleep. He was so happy that he could finally share a meal with them again. Now he was gazing at this owl that he was sure he had never seen before. He noticed the letter as the owl flew in and out of habit reached for it, and was rewarded with a bite on the back of his hand. Arthur immediately withdrew his hand and was about to ask his wife if she knew who's owl this was when surprisingly all of a sudden he was being scolded by his daughter.

"Dad, you can't just go reaching for other peoples mail! It's rude." Ginny scolded before turning back to the owl. "Oh poor Kasper did the big bad man scare you?" Kasper puffed out his chest and hooted menacingly. "Of course how could anything scare such a brave and handsome owl?" Kasper was now entering, what Ginny had coined, his peacock personality. Arthur was watching on in stunned silence as, what he thought was an irritated nasty owl was now preening and playing with his daughter. "Did you bring me a letter from Merlyn?" Kasper hopped at the mention of his human's name before holding out his leg so that Ginny could easily remove the letter. "Mom can please be excused?"

"Yes honey, you may." Her mom answered. Ginny then popped up and kissed her mom on the cheek before running upstairs to read the letter. Kasper flying right on her tail. Ginny shut her door and jumped on her bed and looked at the picture that Merlyn had sent her of him covered in paint. Every time she looked at his picture her heart would beat a little faster and a blush would creep up her cheeks. Over the past two weeks she would read Merlyn's letters every night before she went to sleep. She made her way to her bed and laid down as she opened her newest letter from her friend. Ginny got butterflies in her stomach when ever she would read one of his letters. This time it was no different. With a deep breath and a big smile she opened the letter.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I was happy to receive your letter and of course to see Kasper again. Though I have a sneaking suspicion that he likes you more than me. I hope that you were able to get out of knitting class with your mom. Anyway let me tell you what's happening at Hogwarts. First you're not going to believe this but do you remember Hermione. I wrote told you about her in one of my other letters. Well guess what, she has a crush on Harry and whats more is that he has no idea, even after she kissed him! Can you believe how clueless he is?_

Ginny stopped right there. 'Did Merlyn, the clueless king, just call his brother clueless!?' Ginny thought to herself. Slowly she began to giggle and little by little it got louder and louder until it transformed into a full blown laughing fit. Merlyn the boy who, judging by what happened on the train, could have his pick of any girl he wanted and didn't even realize it just called his brother clueless. That stopped her laughing fit instantly, 'If Merlyn could be with any girl he wanted then why would he ever look twice at plain old me?' Ginny thought sadly. Wait, what? Where had that thought come from. Ginny had decided long ago that there was only one boy for her. The hero Harry Potter, the boy-who-lived. Now that she thought about it Merlyn's brother shared his first name with the hero. That is quite the coincidence. She let her thoughts die down as she went back to Merlyn's letter. A smile creeping right back onto her face as warm feeling in the pit of her stomach began coming back.

 _Now enough of my brother's plight. We had our first flying lesson today and that was an experience. Well everything was going alright until a boy named Neville Longbottom took off early. He shot up to the sky but unfortunately his grip slipped when he was about ten meters up and fell. Don't worry he only broke his wrist and is all better now. But when our teacher Madame Hooch took him off to the hospital wing a vile piece of trash named Draco Malfoy found his glass orb, Hermione told us later that it was called a remembrall, and took off on his broom looking for a place to hide it. Well Harry and I weren't going to let that happen and flew after him. Malfoy didn't seem to like his chances with both of us after him and threw the remembrall into the forbidden forest. Harry dived after it with me following behind him. I swear my brother was born on a broom. He came out of what had to be a twenty meter dive and caught it barely a meter from the ground! We made it back to the rest of the class, who were speechless. But Professor McGonagall had seen him flying and came out and took him away. You see we weren't supposed to fly without Madame Hooch present. Hermione and I didn't see him until lunch when he told us what happened. Apparently Professor McGonagall was so impressed with his flying that she made him the Gryffindor quidditch team's seeker! He said that the captain told him he was the youngest quidditch player in a century! How about that?_

Ginny was impressed. Her brothers, Fred and George, were on the team as beaters. They had always told her that it was very difficult to get on a house team and that normally only third years and above were ever allowed on the house teams. Harry must be an amazing flier.

 _Well while we were talking all about Harry and quidditch my mind soon went to that brat Malfoy. I thought of a prank that would keep him in his place literally but then realized that the idea was just too good to keep only to Malfoy so decided that we would prank the entire school on Halloween! Unfortunately the amount of sticking solution that we would need would take too long to brew on our own so we enlisted the help of, guess who, that's right, Fred and George! But don't worry I will get Malfoy with something else even if he, sadly, might have to wait until after Halloween. I will make sure to send you pictures. Our classes are rather boring unfortunately. I even fell asleep once in History of Magic. Professor Binns really should work on his teaching ability. Potions is a fun subject but the teacher, Professor Snape, makes it a miserable experience for everyone except the Slytherins. He seems to really hate Harry, Snape even took points from Gryffindor because Harry was apparently breathing wrong. Unbelievable! I wish I could prank him in retaliation but pranking a teacher is a really bad idea. But I will find someway to make him pay for picking on my brother. I wish I had more to tell you but alas I do not. I hope that you are enjoying yourself, apart from the knitting lessons I mean. I can't wait for your next letter._

 _Your friend,_

 _Merlyn_

He wished he could tell her more? What he had written was almost two rolls of parchment. Ginny was beginning to feel guilty that her letters to him weren't even near half that. That warm feeling in the pit of her stomach started spreading as she decided that she would give him the letters he deserved. She was also amazed that he was able to get the twins to help him with a prank. They never let anyone in on theirs. They were always so secretive and as far as she knew never pranked with anyone other than each other. Merlyn's idea must have been amazing. She wasn't sure what it was but got the feeling that there was a clue somewhere in the letter. As for Draco Malfoy, she had never heard of the boy but he sounded like a jerk. Of course she had heard plenty of stories about the potions master but nothing like what Merlyn had told her. She hoped that Malfoy would get what's coming to him, and that Merlyn would find a way to get back at Snape. He seemed really protective of his brother and that just made the warmth she felt grow. Well she had a letter to write and she would not let Merlyn down.

Sitting at the kitchen table Arthur Weasley had just watched his daughter run up stairs. "What was that all about?" He asked his wife.

"Oh she has been writing to her crush." Molly told him before taking a sip of her tea.

"Don't tell me that Harry Potter is writing her?" Arthur knew that his daughter had only ever had one crush and that had been ever since she was six.

"Oh no, this was a boy she met at Kings Cross. The boy had overturned his cart and Ginny went over to help. By the time I noticed she was gone the rest of us were already on platform 9 ¾. When they arrived I was so worried and started yelling at Ginny, but the boy stepped in front of her and claimed that it was entirely his fault." Arthur was impressed not many people would stand up to an angry Molly Weasley. "Well he had apparently asked if he could write her and, well, I do believe that this is letter three. He seems like a very nice boy. I am afraid that I was a little harsh with him on the platform."

"So does this mean she is finally over Harry Potter?" Arthur asked hoping she was. After all it was a little girls crush and should be harmless but Ginny had been holding onto it for far too long in his opinion.

"Oh I don't think so. In fact I am not even certain she realizes that she likes this boy. But I can tell. She even tried to lie to me so that she could keep a picture of him. Trust me she really likes this boy, Merlyn." Arthur wasn't sure what to think about this. Ginny was his little girl after all and a harmless crush on a boy she would probably never meet was one thing but this... well he would just have to wait and see what happened.

 **A/N: I hope you enjoyed the chapter. With the responses to the last chapter i just couldn't wait to get this one out and so i worked overtime on it.**

 **Please leave a review and let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you. Until next time.**


	13. Chapter 13: Halloween

**A/N: Hello everyone. Well remember when i said that i wouldn't be breaking my longest chapter record for a while. Well i did. This is by far the longest chapter i have ever written at over 20k words! Not only that this is a milestone for me as not only does this send my story flying past the 100k word marker but i now have over 130 followers and over 60 favs. I want to thank you all for supporting me. I never thought that so many people would actually like my story. I would also like to give a special thanks to HoneyBear84 who was able to give me the insight i needed to get over my writers block i suffered while writing this chapter. Please enjoy and thank you all.**

The next morning a sweaty trio had just entered a packed Great Hall after their morning exercises. They found a spot at the Gryffindor table where they could all sit together. Unfortunately for them the only space available was right across from Ron. Over the past two weeks most of Gryffindor had learned not to sit across from the human garbage disposal. They sat down and began heaping food on their plates. Hermione was happy to find that with all the exercise she was doing she was actually loosing weight even though she was eating more and it was now becoming visible during their morning runs due to the fact that they weren't wearing robes to cover them. While Hermione didn't mind in the slightest, Harry sure as hell did. "Hermione, you have been loosing quite a bit of weight." Harry observed after they took their seats.

"I know isn't it great!?"

"No! It isn't! Hermione you are still growing you should be gaining not loosing." Harry admonished her, but then remembering the last time he brought up her looks quickly explained. "Listen it isn't healthy, our dad made sure we ate even more then we do now. Your body is still growing and needs it. And besides you are pretty enough not to worry about your weight." He was about to continue when a loud laugh came from across the table causing all three to look up at the culprit and Hermione to look down sadly, Ronald Weasley.

"Yfi snie lkfi owf owi fhio!" Ron tried to say, spraying food from his mouth one bit actually landed on Hermione's plate. Hermione gagged and pushed her plate away, her disgust pushing away the thoughts she was having about her looks.

"Here Hermione." Harry said moving his plate in between him and Hermione. Hermione gave him a grateful smile. "And you can shut up. It's nasty enough watching you eat you don't have to absolutely ruin breakfast for us by spitting your food at us. For heavens sake lean to close your mouth!" Ron face went bright red as he scowled and bent back over his plate. "Listen our dad knows about health and you need to eat. In fact I think I'll ask dad to send me a few books about it so you can read it. But until then please trust me." Hermione bit her lip and nodded before digging in. Before Harry returned to his shared breakfast plate he sent a scowl over to the Weasley across from him. Near the end of breakfast the owl post arrived. Pretty soon everyone was looking up as two owls entered carrying a long thin package. Harry had a feeling he knew exactly what it was as a grin split his face when Hedwig and Bones landed in front of him with the package. "Looks like dad sent it." He said as he began unwrapping the package. He untied the attached letter and read it first. And it was a good thing he did.

 _Harry,_

 _Congratulations! We are so proud of you! In fact we decided that this deserved a reward so inside the package is your brand new Nimbus 2000. Don't open it until you get back to your dorm though. We don't want everyone getting jealous that you have a broom now do we. Make sure to let us know when your first game is. We don't want to miss it! Say hi to Merlyn and let him know that his Nimbus 2000 is waiting for him at home._

 _Love_

 _Mom, Dad, Sirius, Auntie Em_

 _P.S. Your uncle Sirius finally proposed to your Auntie Em and they will be getting married next summer._

"Well what are we waiting for let's hurry up and go up to the tower and open it!" Merlyn said after reading the letter. The three got up and headed out of the Great Hall.

Draco Malfoy was sitting at the Slytherin table when he saw the long package land in front of 'Perfect' Potter. That Potter was the golden boy along with his two friends the Ashwood boy and that filthy mudblood. Draco could not stand how they seemed to be the best in everything. Now it looked like Potter had received a broom and his mouth formed an evil smirk as he thought of a way to finally put Potter in his place. He got up and grabbed his two cronies Crabbe and Goyle.

The three had just exited the Great Hall when they heard someone shout, "Potter!" when they all turned around they saw a smirking Malfoy with his two goons.

"What have you got there Potter?" Malfoy said as he snatched the package from Harry. "It a broomstick! First years aren't allowed." He had Potter now.

"Give it back Malfoy!" Harry demanded. Before anything else could happen Professor Flitwick appeared.

"Is there a problem?" Flitwick asked them.

"Potter's got a broomstick, Professor!" Malfoy announced confident that he had finally caught Potter.

"Ah yes, Professor McGonagall told me all about the special circumstances. What model is it Mr. Potter?" Flitwick asked wiping Malfoy's smirk from his face.

"A Nimbus 2000 Professor." Harry replied before thinking to have a little fun. "And it is really thanks to Mr. Malfoy that I got it." He said smiling. Merlyn and Hermione both laughed as they remembered their first flying lesson yesterday.

"Ah an excellent broom. I am partial to the Cleansweep series myself, but none the less an excellent broom. Now I think you should hurry and put it up in your dorm before you are late for class." Flitwick said handing the broom back to Harry. Harry, Merlyn, and Hermione quickly hurried up to Gryffindor tower leaving behind a stunned Draco. Draco was fuming inside. 'Special circumstances' this was bullshit. How did Potter and his little gang get away with everything.

The trio had just made it up to the boys dormitory and put the package on Harry's bed. "Well what are you waiting for open it!" Merlyn practically shouted. And Harry started tearing the package open. Inside was the most beautiful broom that any of them had ever seen. Even Hermione who wasn't a huge fan of flying could admire its beauty. A blush came to her cheeks when she remembered her upcoming flight with Harry. "Wow! I can't wait to get home and give mine a spin."

"You can always hop on mine you know." Harry told his brother. "Oh shit!" Harry exclaimed looking at his watch. "We are going to be late for herbology! Lets go!" With that they all ran out to the greenhouse for their herbology lesson. After their classes Oliver Wood came up to Harry to let him know to meet him down at the quidditch pitch at eight. That left a few hours for the friends to finish up their homework. The finished just at half past seven when Harry decided he should head on down to the pitch. As Harry was up in his dorm getting his broom Merlyn turned to Hermione.

"Hey why don't you go down to the pitch with him. After all when they finish you might be able to get that flight." Merlyn suggested. Hermione blushed at that.

"But won't it be too dark by then?"

"Dark? Maybe. But night flights are very... nice." Merlyn told her with a slight smirk. "Besides in the dark you don't notice the height as much."

Hermione bit her lip in what Merlyn thought was a rather cute expression. "Alright I'll ask him when he comes back down." She didn't have to wait long. When Harry made it back down to the common room Hermione met him at the portrait hole. "Um, Harry would it be alright if I came down to watch? I was thinking afterwards maybe you could take me on a flight?" Hermione asked but then her nerves got the better of her, "I mean if you would rather not I understand. After all it will be late and probably really dark. You know never mind I asked." Hermione sped through it all as her nerves just took control. She was about to turn around and go back to Merlyn when Harry spoke.

"Sure. And don't worry about the lateness. Night flights are the best you can see all the stars so clearly. It's really an amazing sight." It then clicked, for Hermione, just what Merlyn meant when he said that night flights were 'nice'. As she and Harry left she quickly turned and mouth 'Thank you' to Merlyn who gave her a grin and a thumbs up.

After Harry and Hermione left. Merlyn went up to his dorm room to begin brewing a cauldron of sticking solution. His other dorm mates normally didn't turn in till after eleven. That would give him enough time to brew up two portions of the potion if he used Harry's cauldron as well. He had gotten everything done and was now admiring his lime green solution. Now all he had to do was let it simmer and wait until it turned clear. The smell however reminded him about the sprig of rosemary that he would need to add in order to counteract the smell. It wasn't part of the instructions in the book but if he had learned anything from his dad it was how to brew potions. He would always be grateful that his dad taught him how to cook not just because he could now cook delicious food that would almost match his dad's cooking but also because of how well it translated to potions. Harry wasn't as good at cooking or potions as he was but then one couldn't be the best at everything. That was not to say that Harry was bad, he was second in potions only to Merlyn followed closely by Hermione. "Hmm maybe we should give her cooking lessons." Merlyn thought out loud. His musings were interrupted however by the arrival of Kasper through the open window. "Kasper!" Merlyn greeted. "Did you have a good time with Ginny?" Kasper hooted out a long slow longing note. "Yeah I know what you mean. Did you bring me a letter." Kasper held out his leg with the attached letter. "Hey Kasper let me know when the contents of those cauldrons turn clear please." Kasper just gave him a look that said 'Really, you want me to be an egg timer?' "Please I will give you two extra pieces of bacon tomorrow morning." Merlyn pleaded with his owl he really wanted to read the letter but he didn't want to screw up the potion. They were pressed for time as it was. Kasper then gave him an affirmative hoot and turned to watch the two cauldrons simmer as Merlyn opened the letter. It felt a bit thicker than normal. He then realized why. It was a long letter and there was a photograph. Merlyn quickly started to read.

 _Dear Merlyn,_

 _I just finished reading your letter. I must say that I do love having Kasper around he reminds me of you and always finds a way to make my days better. I must say that Draco Malfoy sounds like a piece of work and I hope someone gets him for it. But it's good that you and Harry were able to get Neville's remembrall back for him. And please congratulate your brother on making the team for me. Fred and George have told me how hard it is for anyone to get on the team, much less a first year. Your brother must be amazing! My parents haven't let me fly saying that it is too dangerous, but of course my brothers could fly when they were my age. Well guess what, I'll let you in on a little secret so don't tell anyone, during school vacations I will slip out of the house to the shed where my brothers keep their brooms when their home and I will take one and go flying! I will be in so much trouble if anyone finds out so please don't tell anyone._

Merlyn was going to continue when he heard a loud hooting and remembered the sticking solutions that were simmering. Merlyn rushed to get them off the fire and doused the fire as it was getting rather hot in there dorm. He was very grateful that there was a fireplace that he could use. He then went over to his trunk and pulled out a flask that he got from his uncle Sirius for his last birthday, because of how good he was at potions. Sirius had put a few charms on it to make it something amazing. For some reason Harry was now suspecting that this was exactly the sort of thing Sirius had in mind when he charmed the flask in the first place. The flask had an undetectable extension charm on the inside, an unbreakable charm, and a feather-light charm. Merlyn quickly ladled the contents of the cauldrons into his flask. It looked like it barely had anything in it. This was the most amazing gift ever! He would have to make sure to thank Sirius. Once everything was put away Merlyn was finally able to get back to Ginny's letter.

 _Flying just makes all of my troubles seem to fall away. Let me tell you about the last time I went out for a night time flight. It was after my last birthday on August eleventh. Well it was almost midnight and everyone else had gone to bed I thought that I would just sneak down stairs and maybe have some more of my birthday cake. It was chocolate and, well, I might just happen to LOVE chocolate. I just couldn't seem to control myself that night I went downstairs and ate the entire cake. Ha ha. By the end I must have looked like my brother Ron. Have you met him? I'm sure you have he is in Gryffindor too. Fair warning don't sit near him at meal times it is a horrible thing to witness. But anyway back to the story, so once I finished off my birthday cake I sat in the kitchen and looked at the sky and it was such a clear starry night that I knew I just had to fly. I snuck down to the shed and borrowed Bill's broom. Bill is my eldest brother by the way, he already left Hogwarts and is now working as a cursebreaker for Gringotts. Wow I am sorry for digressing so much but I promise no more. So once I had Bill's broom I kicked off and went soaring in the sky. It was one of my favorite flights of all time. The stars and moon looked close enough to touch. It was perfect. The next day Bill came to me and told me that he saw everything. I was so scared I was going to be punished but all he said was that he was glad I was happy on my birthday. I love my brother Bill the most out of all the rest. Don't get me wrong I love them all. Well maybe not Ron or Percy. Just kidding. I love them too, but I don't really like them that much. God I said I wasn't going to do that anymore. Sorry. Well when Bill told me that he saw me the previous night. He said I looked so happy he just had to capture the moment and took a picture. It is my favorite one of me and, well, I wanted you to have a copy. I hope you like it._

Merlyn dove for the envelope and pulled out a photo of Ginny on a broom in her yellow nightgown with a starry night sky all around her. The smile on her face sent the butterflies, in his stomach, into a frenzy. She had to be the most beautiful girl he had ever seen. Merlyn let out a sigh at that particular thought. 'With a smile like that she could be with any boy she wants. Why on earth would she want to be with me.' Merlyn thought as his stomach tied itself in knots. A small tear fell from his eye as he started to read again.

 _Maybe when I get to Hogwarts next year we can fly together? I know that you said your brother was a natural on a broom but I am sure that you are pretty good too. After all you kept up with him when he made that dive, right? I have to go now. I hope you figure out something to do to that Malfoy brat and that teacher who is picking on your brother. I can't wait to hear from you again._

 _Your friend,_

 _Ginny_

 _P.S. Please don't forget to take pictures on Halloween. I really wish I could be there._

When he finished the letter he smiled. Even though he didn't think she would ever like him the way he wished she would he could still be her friend. With that last thought he picked up his charms book and headed down to the common room to study and wait for Harry and Hermione to get back.

Harry and Hermione finally arrived at the quidditch pitch. Oliver Wood was already there waiting for Harry. "Hey Harry! And who is this? I thought I told you to keep this quiet." Wood scolded Harry.

"She is my best friend so of course I told her. But don't worry she promised not to tell anyone. She is just here to watch and then afterwards I am going to take her flying to help her get over her fear of heights." Harry replied. Oliver scrutinized Hermione before giving a nod.

"Just be sure not to mention this to anyone. If Harry is as good as Professor McGonagall says he will be our secret weapon." Oliver told her and received a nod in reply. "Good well now why don't you two come with me. Now do you know anything about quidditch?" Wood asked Harry.

"Yeah my uncle has told me all about it."

"Good then we can skip the basics. Now show me what you can do. Why don't you start with a few laps of the pitch?" Harry didn't need anymore incentive. He had been itching to put the Nimbus through its paces all day. Harry hopped on his broom and took off like a rocket and zoomed around the pitch. The broom was amazing. It seemed to respond to the slightest touch. "Whew, Professor McGonagall wasn't lying. That boy can fly." Wood commented. Hermione was watching him zoom around the pitch wondering how on earth he could go that fast and still be in control. After a few laps Wood waved him down. "Well done. I can tell this isn't your first time on a broom. Now lets see what you can do with these." Wood said gesturing to a bucket of golf balls. "It's too late to use the snitch we might loose it in the dark. So I will be throwing these and I want you to catch them before they hit the ground." Harry nodded and took back off into the sky. Wood started throwing the balls as hard as he could in every direction. He began at a slow pace and as Harry continued to not let a single one touch the ground started increasing it. By the time he was out of balls he was grabbing and throwing three at a time as fast as he could. Harry didn't let a single ball touch the ground. Wood was practically jumping for joy. The cup was theirs for sure this year. "Well done Harry." Wood told him once Harry had landed again. You will be joining our regular practices twice a week. Now I have to take the balls back up to the castle and I think you have a flight to go on." He added with a wink that Harry missed. Hermione was awed by Harry's flying, she hadn't actually seen anyone really fly before but she could tell that Harry was every bit as good as Merlyn said he was.

"Well are you ready for our flight?" Harry asked his breathing a little labored.

"Yea." She said a little uneasy.

"Alright." Said Harry climbing back on his broom. "Hop on behind me and hold on. Don't worry I'll take it slow." Hermione gingerly got on the broom behind Harry and wrapped her arms around him. She would need to thank Merlyn later. Then ever so slowly they began to rise. Hermione quickly shut her eyes and held on for dear life. She felt them rise high into the air and a frightened whimper escaped her lips. Harry turned his head and saw Hermione's terrified expression. "Hermione open your eyes. I promise I won't let you fall just look up." Hermione tilted her head back so that there was no way she could possibly see the ground and slowly opened her eyes. What she saw made her gape in astonishment. All the stars seemed to be within her grasp. And then there was the full moon shining bright in all its splendor. She slowly relaxed her grip on Harry.

"Wow." Hermione breathed. She rested her head on Harry's back before lightly squeezing him before letting her hands return to the loose embrace.

"Hermione take a look at the castle." Harry whispered to her over his shoulder. Hermione picked her head up to take a look. The scene was breathtakingly beautiful. The lit windows made it seem more like a work of art than an old castle.

She tightened her arms around him in thanks. "Thank you Harry." She whispered in his ear before giving him a light kiss. This kiss was different from the last one she had given him. Where that had been a quick peck this was light and lingering and made Harry's stomach flip. They stayed like that for a while. Harry listing the broom from one spot to the next while Hermione was comfortably pressed up against him. Harry wasn't sure why but he really liked this feeling. Maybe he would be able to convince Hermione to fly with him more often.

It had to be at least half past eleven when they finally returned from their flight. They found an empty common room save Merlyn waiting for them. "Well how did it go?"

"It was amazing! The stars were so brilliant and the sight of the castle at night was spectacular!" Hermione answered in exuberance.

"It was a lot of fun. I had forgotten just how much I love night flying." Harry said. "We should do it again." he told Hermione but then Harry caught himself, "I mean if you want to that is?" he quickly added.

Hermione beamed at him. He wanted to do it again! With her! "Yes I would love to!"

"Great! Well I'm pooped after working with Oliver and then the flight. I'll see you two in the morning. Goodnight Hermione." Harry then made his way up to the boys dormitory. Not seeing Hermione's wide smile and blushing face.

"It went that well, did it?" Merlyn asked after Harry disappeared giving Hermione a knowing smile. Hermione twirled once before sitting down next to her friend. "I'll take that as a yes." Merlyn's smile faltered a little as he thought about what it would be like flying with Ginny but knowing that it would never happen.

Hermione caught his slip however. "What's wrong?"

"Nothing." Merlyn said a bit to quickly.

"Okay, now I know something's wrong. Spill it."

"Well I received a letter from Ginny and I just realized something that's all." Merlyn said trying his best to keep up his smile. He was happy for Hermione after all.

"And what did you realize?"

"Only that I don't stand a chance with Ginny. That's all. Nothing major, you shouldn't worry about it." Merlyn answered a little dejectedly. This was not like Merlyn he was always so...Merlyn. He didn't do sad. Hermione actually began to worry a bit for her friend.

"So the letter made you realize this?"

"Well not exactly. It was the letter and... the picture she sent." Merlyn answered pulling out the picture that he had tucked inside the letter. "See what I mean. She is so amazing, she is sweet, kind, considerate, oh and lets not forget beautiful. She could be with anyone she wants. Why would she settle for me?" Merlyn said getting sadder by the syllable. His head dropping to look at his hands and the letter they held.

Hermione looked at the picture. Merlin's beard! She was on a broom in her nightgown! All evidence pointed to Ginny liking him and liking him a lot! She certainly would never send someone a picture like this unless she was already in a relationship and even then they would have had to of been together for a good long time. "Lynn, could I read the letter?" She asked in the most comforting voice she could. He didn't say anything but handed her the letter. Hermione began reading her eyes widening with every sentence they took in. Wow this girl really liked him. How the hell did he get that he didn't stand a chance? She was beginning to wonder how on earth he could get that she liked his brother but couldn't see the affection in this letter. Apparently he was only clueless when it came to himself. The boy that she had heard other girls fawning over all throughout the school. Hell she had even spotted a few sixth years saying that they wished he was a bit older. True the same could be said about Harry but how were the two most wanted boys in the school so oblivious. Well she would put a stop to this right now. "Merlyn, I don't know how you came to that conclusion but I am now doubting your intelligence." Merlyn's head snapped up, had he missed something? "Lynn this girl likes you, a lot! It's right here in the letter!"

"What! Where? I swear I've read this letter so many times I can practically recite it from memory! I never once saw that she liked me!" Merlyn started now examining the letter in minute detail.

"What did you expect. Ginny to just come out and write 'I like you Merlyn'?" When Merlyn gave her a sheepish look Hermione had to resist the strong urge to slap him upside the head for being so dense. "Gods Merlyn why do you think all those girls come up to you just to say 'hi' and then run away giggling?" Merlyn just looked at her perplexed causing Hermione to let out an exasperated sigh. "Merlyn they all like you! Albeit those girls like you for a different reason then Ginny. I have a feeling that the stampede on the train probably had a lot to do with it."

"Wait, you mean those girls liked me?"

"YES!" God how can someone so brilliant at the same time be so stupid. "Why did you think they kept yelling at you to come back to their compartment with them?"

Merlyn simply shrugged his shoulders. "I thought I did something wrong. I mean I know they were smiling but still."

"Merlyn if they had actually gotten you to go with them I expect you would have been snogged within an inch of your life."

"But why? They don't even know me."

"Oh my God Merlyn! You are hot! You are probably the most attractive boy in Hogwarts. Hell I've even heard some sixth years wishing you were old enough for them!"

"But why would it matter if I'm good looking or not. That isn't what matters." Merlyn said still as confused as ever.

'This has got to be a prank. He cannot be this clueless. No one was this dim.' She thought to herself while giving Merlyn a disbelieving look. Maybe she should start at the other end. "Merlyn you said that Ginny was beautiful." Merlyn nodded. "Would you still be attracted to her if she wasn't kind and sweet but still the most beautiful girl you had ever seen."

"No." Merlyn answered in such a steadfast tone that she actually believed him. He is a bloody romantic too!

"Alright would you still like her the way you do if she wasn't beautiful?" Hermione asked expecting a certain answer and she got it.

"Yes."

"Okay. Do you like anyone else the way you like Ginny?"

"No."

"Do you know anyone else who has the same qualities as Ginny?"

"Sure."

"Who?"

"You. You're smart, kind, and beautiful too." Hermione gave him a light punch to his shoulder as her face became a bright red. "There are plenty of other girls in the school who are beautiful but that doesn't mean I want to snog them. I can't even imagine only liking someone for their looks."

"Merlyn we have gone a bit off topic. And I am way too tired to explain all this to you. Just know that Ginny likes you the same way that you like her." Merlyn's smile could melt ice with its brilliance.

"Are you sure." He asked tentatively.

"Yes Lynn, I am positive." Merlyn jumped out of his seat and let out a loud whoop in celebration.

"So what should I do now?" He asked the smile still plastered on his face. Hermione was glad she was prepared for it or she would have probably started chasing him trying to get a snog herself.

"Just be yourself. Do exactly what you have been doing. Trust me." Merlyn then ran over and gave Hermione the best hug he could.

"Thanks Hermione! You're the best! Oh, I guess I should probably tell Harry that you like him then." he said trying to find a way to pay her back for the spiritual uplift she had just given him.

"No." Merlyn was stunned she liked his brother didn't she? "Lynn I only told you because you both already like each other and I didn't want to see you screw anything up before it even got a chance to start. Harry needs to like me the same way I like him before he finds out that I like him. I don't want him to like me just because I like him." Hermione then got up and gave him a peck on the cheek before heading to bed. "And don't think anything about that kiss. It only means that you are one of my best friends that's all." She said when she reached the foot of the stairs and realized that Merlyn might have taken it the wrong way being as clueless as he was. "I'll try to explain the rest to you later but I am just too tired right now. Goodnight Lynn." She said giving him a smile. Before she went through the door to the girls dormitory she glanced back one more time only to see Merlyn dancing with the photo of Ginny. 'So brilliant yet so stupid' she thought as she walked through the door.

The next morning the three were sitting in the Great Hall chowing down after their morning workout. Merlyn still had his trademark smile on his face causing the girls near him to practically drool. Hermione was very glad that Harry kept his particular smile in check or else she would have just as much competition as Ginny. Just as Harry was getting started on his second plate of food the twins showed up and sat down right across from him. "Morning Harry." They said together. "Wood just made his rounds and told us that a certain Marauder has been made the team seeker." Fred said in a quiet voice. Wood had threatened them on pain of death to keep it a secret.

"Congrats mate. Wood was practically skipping when he told us so you must be good."

"But now on to more important business. Now we have a couple of cauldron of sticking solution waiting in our dorm but we don't have a good place to store it until Halloween. Any thoughts?" Fred questioned.

"Oh I've got that covered." Merlyn piped up. "Oh and Ginny sends her congratulations on making the team." He added to his brother when he was interrupted by the twins.

"Did you say Ginny?"

"As in our little sister, Ginny?"

"Um, yea." Merlyn answered. "We've been writing to each other since the start of term." Merlyn told them.

"Oh really." The twins said as one getting a mischievous glint in their eyes.

"Oi, stop that line of thought right now." Merlyn said in a stern voice knowing exactly what that look was as he had seen it many times on his brothers face. "Tell you what I will make you a deal. You forget what you just heard and I'll let you in on my plans for a certain potions Professor." Merlyn bartered knowing that it was probably the only way to get the twins to back off.

The twins quickly looked at each other giving it some thought. This was some golden material they were being asked to forget, but then again the opportunity to get Snape wasn't one that came along very often, in fact this was the first time. "Deal!" They said together.

"Merlyn! You can't go pranking teachers!" Hermione admonished him.

"Hermione it isn't just for us." Merlyn said giving a slight twitch of his head toward his brother. "But for every student who isn't a Slytherin!" Hermione didn't like it but he was mean to everyone and especially Harry. She still didn't really like the idea but didn't say anything else for the time being. "Now I've got a way to store the sticking solution." Merlyn said turning back to the twins, "So all you need to do is bottle it and hand them to me and I'll put them in a special flask my uncle gave me and return your flasks. Now I already have two portions worth but as you can see we will need a lot more." He said gesturing to the entire Great Hall. Oh and make sure to add a sprig of rosemary to it after it turns clear and let it steep for at least an hour. That will get rid of the smell. After all it wouldn't be good if the Great Hall smelled of sticking solution now would it?" The twins quickly looked at each other before giving Merlyn a nod and headed out of the Great Hall, supposedly to add the sprig of rosemary.

Hermione was still deep in thought weighing the pros and cons of actually pranking a teacher. When she noticed a group of first and second year girls at the end of the Gryffindor table gazing at Merlyn. She elbowed Merlyn in the ribs and tilted her head to the group of girls. "See I told you." Merlyn could not believe it. She was right. Well he would just have to set the girls straight that's all. He made to get up when Hermione grabbed his arm. "Where are you going?" A bad feeling creeping over her.

"I'm going to set those girls straight. Hopefully they will stop after that." Merlyn told her as he began walking over to the group of giggling girls.

Hermione tapped Harry on the shoulder. "You might want to see this Harry." Harry looked at Hermione and followed her gaze to see Merlyn walking towards a group of girls. His only thought was 'Uh Oh." They watched as Merlyn began talking to the girls and the change on their faces were not promising. He was making it worse! "We might want to be ready to run." Hermione told Harry. The girls faces were loosing that admiring look but unfortunately it was replaced by one of desire. Not long after the girls all stood up to try and get to Merlyn. Merlyn recognized the signs and ran!

"Lynn, you really need to stop doing that!" Harry shouted at his brother as they ran up and down flights of stairs. They ran down a corridor hoping to loose the girls by hiding in one of the classrooms. However the only door in this particular corridor was at the very end. They could hear the thundering footsteps get closer as they reached the door only to find it locked. Hermione, quick as a flash, took out her wand and muttered a quiet "Alohamora" and the lock clicked open. The trio quickly ran inside and closed the door. With their ears to the door they heard the group of girls head off in another direction. With three sighs of relief they turned around only to find that the room wasn't quite as empty as they had hoped. In their attempt to allude the stampede of girls they had lost track of where they were and ended up in the third floor corridor. And in front of them was a giant snarling three headed dog! Everyone froze. The dog lunged for the trio just as they were running out the door. They didn't stop running until they got back to the common room which was thankfully empty. Still wide eyed and scared shit less the three looked at each other before Merlyn broke the silence.

"What the hell!?" He got out while panting.

"Merlyn you are so dead!" Harry said glaring at his brother. "Why did you go talk to those girls? You know what happens every time!"

"What are you yelling at me for? I went to talk to them so that they would stop trying to trample me!"

"Boys! Stop it!" Hermione shouted. The two brothers immediately shut up and looked at a very irritated Hermione. The shock from the three headed dog was now wearing off. Hermione was now able to think about everything that had occurred and a giggle escaped her lips. The two boys were just watching her as if she had gone insane. Her giggles had now become out right laughter. "Only you Merlyn! Only you could escape from a pack of girls only to nearly be eaten by a three headed dog!" She got out in between bursts of laughter. The other two thought about it and their laughter quickly joined Hermione's. It took some time for their laughter to die down. When it did Hermione's memory of her talk with Merlyn the previous night came back to her. "Lynn, what exactly did you say to those girls?"

"I just told them exactly what I told you last night. That they shouldn't like me because they think I am cute. They should like me for who I am. And that's kind of when everything went downhill."

Hermione buried her head in her hands. Normally saying that to a girl would be fine but when the boy who is saying it, was the same boy the girl had been drooling over... not such a good idea. "Lynn I think it would be best if you just tried to not address groups of girls anymore." She said her voice filled with mirth.

"God Lynn you don't understand girls at all!" Harry said laughing at his brother. Merlyn just glared at him while thinking, 'I don't have a clue what about you and Hermione!' Once their new fit of laughter stopped Merlyn spoke up.

"So does anyone else want to know why there was a three headed dog in the school?" He asked the two. Harry shrugged while Hermione looked exasperated.

"Honestly, can't you two use your eyes? Didn't you see what it was standing on?" Hermione asked.

"The floor." Merlyn guessed.

"Actually Hermione I was a little busy with its heads. You know all three of them." Harry defended.

"It was standing on a trap door. The dog was guarding something." Hermione then checked her watch and began to freak out. They were late for class! "Guy's were late for class come on! We can talk about the dog later!"

The three did their best to pay attention during their classes but they just could not get that dog or the idea of what it was guarding out of their heads. If Hermione was right in that the dog was actually guarding something then what? The only things that they could think of were that whatever the dog is guarding is dangerous, valuable, or both. "What I don't understand is why they would hide something like that in a school full of students in the first place. I mean I know that Hogwarts has a lot of protective spells but still." Hermione finally let out. They were in moaning Myrtle's bathroom. Hermione had heard that no one goes in there. So they set up their cauldrons there to brew the sticking solution for Halloween. Now that their classes were done for the day they started up three cauldrons of the stuff. Since it was such a simple potion they were able to continue their discussion about the third floor corridor.

"Well who would actually be able to hide something here in the castle?" Merlyn asked.

"Maybe the teachers, or the headmaster." Harry thought out loud.

"Well Professor Dumbledore at least knows about it. Remember he mentioned it at the beginning of the year. He said that 'The third floor corridor on the right hand side was out of bounds for anyone who doesn't wish to die a very painful death.' But I wonder why he would allow it?" Hermione wondered.

"Because he is an evil git!" Merlyn said and Harry nodded. They still hadn't forgotten when he came to their house to take

Harry away. Hermione's eyes widened at that. Albus Dumbledore was the most celebrated wizard of the century. He was a legend and even took down the dark wizard Grendelwald. But then she had already found that both Harry and Merlyn were good judges of character. But still why would they call him an 'evil git'? Well there was only one way to find out. "Why would you say that? You do know that he is known as the 'Champion of the Light'. He was at the forefront of the fight against you-know-who."

"Don't care, he is still a git. He tried to take Harry away." Merlyn told a shocked Hermione.

"What!?"

"Well it's kind of a long story." Merlyn said realizing that Harry might not want to talk about it. He never did. Merlyn had stopped worrying about it once he became his brother but...He glanced over to Harry and saw a stricken look on his brothers face. Merlyn went over to his brother and wrapped his arms around him. "It's alright, they're gone now." He said into Harry's ear. Hermione was now worried. She had never seen Harry like this. He still wasn't moving and had a faraway look. After a few minutes he seemed to come out of it.

"I'm alright, Lynn. I'm okay." Harry told his brother returning the hug. "I've got quidditch practice in a bit. I better go get ready." He told his friends before leaving them in silence.

"What just happened?" Hermione asked worry evident in her voice.

"You'd have to ask Harry. I know you're our best friend but this is a touchy subject." Merlyn replied and continued once seeing Hermione's determined face. "Look I know you are going to ask him about it but please be very careful. This isn't something you can just bombard him with questions over this." He told her sternly. He needed to get her to understand just how sensitive this topic is for his brother. She was Harry's best friend and he felt she deserved to know but Harry was his brother. "You saw what just happened yourself. I don't doubt that you care for Harry but this isn't like asking him how he did on an essay. Just be careful." There wasn't much talking after that. Both deep in thought. Merlyn hoped he was doing the right thing by sending Hermione to Harry like this.

Harry made his way down to the pitch trying to get control of his head. That was why he headed down to the pitch so early, he really needed to fly. He walked onto the pitch and mounted his broom and flew up into freedom. Everything fell away. Harry didn't even realize how long he had been in the air when Wood flew up to meet him. "Hey Potter what's up? I've been trying to call you down for the last ten minutes. You okay?"

"Yea I'm good." Harry told him as he followed Wood down to start the practice. Harry got a new appreciation for hard work during his first practice. By the time they finished Harry was pooped. All that work had occupied his mind to the point that he totally forgot about his earlier troubles. When the rest of the team left the pitch he even opted to stay and fly a bit more. After he said his goodnights he hopped back on his broom and took off for a soothing night flight. When he finally returned to Gryffindor tower he found Lynn and Hermione waiting up for him. "Hey." He breathed out. He wasn't upset to see them he was simply still a little pooped from his night flight. Unlike when he went with Hermione he pushed himself and flew to the limit of his abilities.

"Hey Harry." They both called out. " Finally decided to turn in? How was your night flight?" Merlyn added.

"It was great. The practices are intense though I think I'm going to stay in the common room in front of the fire for a bit before I turn in though." Harry said.

"Alright, well I was only waiting up to say goodnight anyway. So I'll see you in the morning. I'm heading up to bed. Goodnight you two." Merlyn said as he headed upstairs.

"I'm not really all that tired yet. Do you mind if I join you?" Hermione asked and Harry shook his head. Hermione silently made her way to Harry and sat right next to him. They sat together in silence just watching the fire. After a while Harry spoke up.

"Thank you." Harry said not taking his eyes from the fire.

"For what?" Hermione asked looking at Harry.

"For not asking. About earlier I mean." Hermione reached over and gently took Harry's hand giving it a comforting squeeze. Harry finally took his gaze from the fire and it settled on Hermione. Hermione gave him a smile.

"You know that I am always going to be here for you right." Hermione told him not taking her eyes from his. Harry returned her smile. "I care about you Harry. And I just want you to know that I'm not going to ask you about this. But I will always be here for you." She said giving his hand another squeeze. "And if you ever decide to tell me just know that I will not think any differently about you." Harry reached out and pulled her into a hug which she returned. They stayed that way for the rest of the night falling asleep in each others arms.

The next morning Merlyn woke up and noticed it was really bright. He checked his watch and found that it was already eight. He went over to Harry's bed to wake him up. They wouldn't have time to run this morning. He normally didn't sleep in so late he figured that after yesterday Harry probably would be to tired anyway. When he pulled back the curtain to Harry's bed he was shocked to find that Harry was not there. In fact the bed didn't even seem like it had been slept in. Merlyn didn't even bother changing before he ran out of the dorm. Why didn't Harry make it back to the dorm room? Where was his brother? If he was shocked when he saw Harry's empty bed he was stunned by what he saw in the common room. Harry was asleep on the couch in front of the fire and he wasn't alone. Harry had his arms around Hermione who was leaning against him. At least the people who had already made their way down weren't staring but he could see there glances. Well shit, this will be all over school by the end of breakfast. He made his way down the stairs and over to Harry and Hermione to wake them up. "Hey you two. You should probably get up." He said shaking them lightly to wake them.

"Hmm, what?" Harry mumbled trying to get his eyes to work. Hermione on the other hand didn't seem to want to get up as she snuggled more into Harry. "Huh?" Harry wondered as he felt Hermione shift. Everything from last night came crashing back. "Hermione!" Harry whispered. "Hermione wake up!"

"Just a few more minutes." Hermione said softly moving her head to nuzzle itself into Harry's neck. Hermione opened her eyes and took in everything. She shot up horrified.

"Oh my God! Harry I'm so sorry I just..." She didn't even finish before she saw all the people watching and her face went bright red.

"Hermione it's okay." Harry said quickly to mollify her. "Besides you were comfy." He added causing Hermione's already bright red blush to intensify. "And thanks...you know...for last night. I really needed it."

At those words Hermione's mind quickly got over the embarrassment and went back over to Harry. "Anytime Harry." She said with a smile. Harry and Hermione both went up to their dorms to change and were now on their way to the Great Hall with Merlyn. They sat down at the Gryffindor table and began piling their plates with food. Their breakfast was soon interrupted by a set of red headed twins.

"Morning chaps." Fred greeted.

"What can we do for you gentlemen?" Harry asked.

"Gentlemen? Where?" The twins said together while looking around causing the trio to laugh.

"Well lets talk business and then we shall talk pleasure." George said. "We happen to have a deposit that we wish to make toward our cause." He said looking at Merlyn.

"Okay, how about after breakfast?" Merlyn asked.

"Sounds good. Now onto more interesting business. A little birdie told us of a certain pair of first years falling asleep together in the common room. So any truth to this?"

"Yea." Harry answered causing both Merlyn and Hermione's eyes to widen. "I got in late from flying and couldn't sleep and Hermione kept me company. We just ended up falling asleep on the couch."

"Oh." Said Fred a little disappointed at such an innocent explanation. "Well we will see you three after lunch. Right now we have got to go see Lee Jordan about a bet on a certain quidditch game." The twins both got up and headed over to their friend.

"Well it looks like the rumor mill is working overtime today." Merlyn noted. "I hope that you are ready for some stares and an insult or two."

"Why would Hermione need to worry about that?" Harry asked.

"Because you are popular. And you two were sleeping in the common room together. I know it was all innocent but rumors have a way of exaggerating." Merlyn explained. "Now if you two don't mind I have a letter to write. I'll see you two in class." And with that Merlyn went back to his dorm room to write Ginny.

That night at the Burrow Ginny was very subdued after dinner with her parents. She was currently lying on her bed staring at the ceiling. It had been three days! Three days since she had sent her latest letter to Merlyn. He had never waited so long before replying. Did she scare him away with her last letter. It had been very personal. She started getting really upset. Maybe it was the picture. It was a little more than she would have normally sent. Hell she normally wouldn't have sent a picture at all. After all she already sent him one. Gods why did she send him that photo! She was in her nightgown for heavens sake! Stupid! Stupid! Stupid! God she was such an idiot! And he was so cute too! Cute no he was bloody dreamy! Even all covered in paint. Ginny lifted the picture of him covered in paint and laughing. She couldn't keep a giggle from escaping her lips. Even now when she was feeling horrible and her stomach was twisting painfully Merlyn could still make her smile. In these few short weeks Merlyn had practically become her best friend. A year ago she would have said that Luna Lovegood was her best friend and to be honest she still was but she hadn't seen her friend in over a year and only received a few letters letting her know how she was doing after her mom died. Now she was all alone, 'Well except for Merlyn.' She thought with a smile bringing his picture to her chest and giving it a hug. She couldn't wait to see him again. But then she remembered it had been three days and that she had scared him away. All of that joy she was just feeling went away and was replaced by sadness. Not able to hold it all in Ginny turned over and started crying into her pillow still clutching Merlyn's photo to her chest.

Ginny was brought out of her misery by a loud tapping at her window. She looked up and her spirits soared. It was Kasper! "Kasper!" She shouted running to the window to open it. Kasper swooped in and landed on her bed quickly followed by Ginny. "So do you have a letter for me?" She asked eagerness saturating her voice. With a hoot and a head bob Kasper held out his leg so that Ginny could untie the letter. In a flash the letter was off Kasper's leg and was being read by Ginny.

 _Dear Ginny,_

 _I'm sorry for not writing in a few days it has been a little hectic here at Hogwarts. But I think that this will be well worth the wait because I got a story for you this time. Well it all started three days ago when I was down in the common room. Well that night my friend Hermione explained to me the reason why girls walk up to me giggle and then run off again. Apparently they like me. Can you believe it!?_

After reading that Ginny found herself getting angry. 'How dare those hussies go after MY Merlyn! Wait when did he become MY Merlyn? I am a Harry Potter girl through and through!' But then she glanced over to Merlyn's picture and sighed as butterflies filled her stomach. Why? Why was she feeling this way? After pondering this problem and not finding an answer she turned back to the letter.

 _Hermione told me that she even heard that some of the sixth years saying that if I was a bit older they would ask me out! Isn't that the stupidest thing you have ever heard! People should like each other based on who they are not what they look like right?_

Ginny smiled at that and thought 'Maybe just maybe he might...'

 _Hell I have barely even said hello to most of these girls. Well the next morning Hermione pointed out a group of first and second years down at the end of our table looking at me and my brother and giggling. I decided right then to set them straight and went over to talk to them. Apparently that was a bad idea. I went over and smiled not wanting them to think I was angry because I wasn't I just wanted them to understand why you should really like a person. Well they seemed to take it in but the effect wasn't what I had intended. Well not long after I started talking Harry, Hermione, and I were running away from those girls who were chasing us, well me anyway, we ended up getting kind of lost with the girls hot on our heels when we turned a corner and decided to hide out in an unused classroom. When we got to the door it was locked so Hermione, being a brilliant witch, used a spell to unlock the door and we ran in. We hid in the room until we heard the girls go down the hall away from us. Unfortunately the room wasn't quite as empty as we had hoped. Inside was a snarling three headed dog! I am not making this up I swear. We did the only thing we could think of. We bolted and headed straight for Gryffindor tower. When we got back Harry tore into me for starting another stampede. I guess I kinda deserved it but I mean I wasn't trying to. Honestly I was trying to end the stampedes. At least it is because they like me and not because I did something wrong, but still. Anyway Hermione eventually stepped in and stopped us. Guess what she noticed that the dog was standing over a trap door! It was guarding something. Of course Harry and I were a little busy with its three heads to notice the trap door. Well we haven't been able to talk about much else ever since. In fact we were talking about it while we were brewing for our Halloween prank when we realized that really the only person with the authority to allow something to be kept in the castle for safe keeping and have it guarded was Dumbledore, that twit._

That made Ginny pause. She had never met Dumbledore but she had heard her parents talk about him and of how great a man he was. She kept reading wondering if she would get an explanation and she did.

 _I'm sure you want to ask me why Harry and I don't like him. Hermione sure as hell wanted to know. She had read all about him, about how he was a hero in the last war, about how he had defeated the dark wizard Grendelwald, and all that. Well I don't care about any of that. The fact that he tried to take my brother away just after my parents adopted him pisses me off. He is my brother and best friend and that git wanted to take him back to his horrible aunt and uncle. Well I was angry and did a bit of accidental magic and sent that old coot end over end across our front yard._

Ginny's eyes were nearly popping out of her head. Did he just say that he sent Dumbledore, supposedly the most powerful wizard of the age, tumbling across his lawn? She didn't even think about Harry being his adopted brother as all her thoughts were of Merlyn and Dumbledore.

 _Harry still doesn't like to talk about it so please don't ask when you meet him. Anyway to continue on with a happier topic our surprise for Halloween is going along great. Your brothers are a great help by the way. When I was brewing the first batch of um... stuff I almost forgot the rosemary. It gets rid of the smell of the solution. Well it reminded me of one time when dad was teaching us potions. I accidentally added an ingredient too early and my cauldron melted! It started warping and totally collapsed and spilled my failed cure for boils all over the place. It was a good thing that after my dad's mix up a few months before she made us do all our potions outside. Especially because the ending mess smelled like the worst thing I had ever smelled. It's a good thing that we are about half a mile from our closest neighbor. Ha ha._

 _I have to get to class so I guess this is it for now. Oh I thought you might like a picture of me when I wasn't covered in paint so I sent home for one. I hope you like it. I can't wait for your next letter!_

 _Your friend,_

 _Lynn_

 _P.S. Don't forget to have fun and don't worry I'll send you plenty of pictures. The picture I sent you was taken on the day I got my wand._

Ginny reached over to the envelope and pulled out the picture. It was of Merlyn in the country, he was holding his wand and there was a thick smoke cloud around his feet. Merlyn had a roguish smile on his face that made her melt. She closed her eyes imagining what it would be like to have him actually direct that smile at her when her eyes snapped open in realization. She liked Merlyn. But she couldn't. She liked Harry Potter, didn't she? But then why did she feel this way about Merlyn. God this sucked! What was she supposed to do? She really wished that she was still talking to Luna. Wait, her mom was talking about getting her and Luna together maybe she should see if her mom could make that sooner rather than later. She was about to walk out her door when she turned around and called out to Kasper, "Hey, are you coming? There is some leftovers for you." Kasper didn't waste any time in flying to her shoulder. Ginny made her way downstairs to talk to her mom when she found her mother in the kitchen finishing up the cleaning. "Hey mom."

"Who are you and what have you done with my daughter?" Molly asked in a playful manner. She had been watching her daughter spiral into a mood for the last two days. Now Molly was looking at a person who most certainly could not be her brooding daughter. That was until she saw a certain 'handsome' owl sitting on her shoulder. "Ah, did someone receive a letter tonight?" She asked giving her daughter a knowing smile.

"Yep." Ginny replied in a very happy voice. Something Molly took note of. "I see. So what did the young Mr. Ashwood have to say?"

"Oh you know just school stuff. He sent me another picture of himself." Ginny said holding it up for her mom to see.

"Well, well, well he is quite handsome. Don't you think so?" Molly asked playing with her daughter. In response Ginny took on a bright red blush.

"I guess, I mean he is alright." Ginny said making her blush even more brilliant.

"So...what can I do for you? I assume you are done here for a reason other than to read his letter by the fire." Molly asked.

"Well I remember you said something the other day about having Luna come over and I was just wondering if she could come over tomorrow?"

"I'm sure I could talk to Xenophilius and set something up. Why the urge to see Luna again. Not that I am unhappy about it but whats with the urgency?" Molly asked.

"I just want to see her again. Its been a while and I miss my friend that's all." Ginny definitely did miss Luna. She was a great friend and her weird way always made her feel good and light. True she really needed a friend to talk to but that didn't mean she didn't miss her friend. Now that she thought of it she could have been a better one to Luna. She did go to the funeral and wrote a few letters but when Luna stopped writing back she only sent a couple more before she stopped. She should have been more insistent. Well now she would have a chance to fix that too.

It was a bit late but Molly figured that it wouldn't be too late for Xenophilius and made her way to the fire place to place a fire call. With a pinch of floo powder Molly stuck her head into the fire and called out "Rookery." Her head started to spin in the green flames before coming to a halt seeing what looked like a stone room. "Xenophilius are you up?" Molly called out not quite as loudly as she could just in case he and Luna were asleep. Luckily they were not. In fact the two Lovegoods were sitting on the couch. However since, for some reason, the couch was facing away from her she could not see them from the angle she was at. "Ah, hello Xenophilius, hello Luna."

"Molly what a delightful surprise! You see Luna I told you that watching an empty fireplace was like watching a cauldron boil. It won't flare up until you look the other way. Now Molly to what do we owe this visit?" Xenophilius asked.

"Well I was wondering if Luna wanted to come by tomorrow. Ginny has been missing you." Molly explained.

"I think that is a lovely idea!" Xenophilius exclaimed. "What do you say to that Luna? I could drop you off at lunch?"

Luna looked at her father with a tilted head and seemed to be pondering her answer. "Yes, I would love to see Ginny again." She said after a few moments of contemplation.

"Wonderful. We will see you tomorrow at noon then. Was that all Molly?"

"Yes. I'm sure Ginny will be delighted. See you both tomorrow." Molly said as she pulled her head out of the fireplace. Molly got up and brushed off her knees as she returned to the kitchen where she found Ginny absolutely spoiling both Kasper and Errol. The two owls seemed to get on just fine. They never spent much time together as Kasper enjoyed flying around and Errol unfortunately too old to do much flying except for the occasional letter Molly needed to send. Well Ginny you might want to figure out what you want to do tomorrow as Luna will be here at noon."

"Great! I'll make sure we stay out of your way." Ginny told her mom not wanting Luna to get dragged into knitting practice. "I think I'll head to bed. Kasper would you like to sleep with me?" Kasper gave a hoot and flapped onto her shoulder. "I'll take that as a yes. Goodnight mom, goodnight Errol." She said while giving Errol a final piece of roast before heading back up to her room and falling asleep.

The next morning Ginny woke with a smile on her face. She got ready and headed down to breakfast. She spent her time making sure that all of her chores were done before Luna arrived. Noon soon arrived and Ginny was helping her mother prepare lunch. Just as they were finishing up there came a knock at the door. "Oh that will be the Lovegoods. Ginny be a dear and finish up here and I will fetch our guests." Molly soon led Luna into the kitchen. "It is a shame that your father couldn't stay for lunch." Molly said as Ginny ran over to engulf her friend.

"Luna! I'm so happy you were able to make it!" Ginny told her while keeping Luna in a firm hug that Luna returned. Luna had missed her best and only friend as much as Ginny had missed her.

"It's good to see you too Ginny." Luna said in her dreamy voice.

"Now why don't we eat lunch and then you two can go have fun. I'm sure you two have a lot of catching up to do." Molly told the girls. They proceeded to eat lunch rather speedily so that they could retire to Ginny's room.

Ginny and Luna were now sitting on Ginny's bed catching up. "Luna I've missed you. Why didn't you respond to my letters?" Ginny asked a little dejected.

"I'm sorry Ginny but after my mom died my dad really needed me. He told me to go and have fun but I knew."

"You always do, Luna." Ginny said giving her friend an understanding smile. "I'm glad you came today because I really needed to talk to a friend. But before we get to my problems, how are you doing Luna?"

"Oh, I'm doing well. It's been rough without mom around. I really miss her." Luna said her normal dreamy demeanor dropping for a second showing a very sad girl. Ginny crawled over to her best friend and gave her a hug.

"I know." Ginny said the two just sitting there hugging for a while as a couple of sniffles escaped from Luna.

"Thanks Ginny, dad tries his best but sometimes a girl needs her best friend. Lets talk about something happier. Something like boys." Luna said her dreamy personality back.

"What!? Why would we need to talk about boys!" Ginny started babbling. True she wanted to talk to Luna about it but Luna bringing it up startled her a bit as she kept on babbling. "Do you have a crush Luna? You already know about mine so spill." Ginny said trying to avoid the topic when it came to her. She wasn't sure why she was so apprehensive about discussing Merlyn with Luna, after all that was one of the reasons she wanted to see her in the first place.

"Well considering the only boys I know are your brothers and the only one close to our age is Ronald. I would have to say that no I am not to fond of Ronald." Luna said with her usual blunt form of honesty. This made Ginny laugh though at just the thought of Ron and Luna.

"Oh, I can understand that! But I don't think you have to worry about Ron fancying you." Ginny said still laughing at the idea.

"That's good." Luna said with a smile on her face. Ginny's other brothers seemed nice but Ron always called her Loony and she didn't especially appreciate it. "But I was referring to the boy you have taken a fancy too."

"Who Harry Potter? Well he is a hero and defeated you-know-who. But you know that already." Luna didn't miss that the normal far away fantasizing look that always adorned her friends face when speaking of the boy-who-lived was noticeably absent this time.

"Actually I was referring to the boy with black hair and dark brown eyes."

"How do you know what Merlyn looks like!?" Ginny blurted out before she could stop herself. In response Luna pointed at Ginny's desk where both pictures of Merlyn were propped up. Luna noticed that while Ginny's fantasy look wasn't appearing there was a distinct tone of jealousy. Ginny never got jealous like that about Harry Potter. Ginny gained a rather sheepish look when she realized what Luna was pointing too. "Oh." Ginny said. "Luna I..." Ginny started but couldn't seem to find the words to continue. After a small silence Luna came to her rescue.

"You like him." Luna stated no question in her voice.

"I don't know. I mean you know that I've always liked Harry Potter but Merlyn..." Ginny said before picking up her newest picture of Merlyn and stared at it. "What do I do Luna?" Ginny asked taking her eyes away from the picture and looked at her friend who stayed silent. "I mean... I don't know what I mean." Ginny was drowning in confusion.

"Well why don't you start from the beginning. Tell me about when you two met and everything since then." Luna suggested. With a sigh Ginny began telling Luna everything. When she got to the letters she even pulled them out of her desk drawer and let Luna read them. Normally she wouldn't have but Ginny really needed her friends advice. The pair stayed silent for a while, Luna reading Ginny's letters, and Ginny stroking a purring Kasper in deep thought.

Luna looked up after she finished reading the last letter. She had never met Merlyn but if she had to take a guess she would say that he liked Ginny. And from her friends actions she liked him too. But was it her place to tell her friend what she suspected. No. Ginny needed to figure out that he liked her too on her own. That doesn't mean that she couldn't give her friend a nudge. "Well what do you like about Merlyn?" Luna asked.

"He is sweet, kind, funny, smart, and he is probably the cutest guy I have ever met." Ginny answered not knowing where this question came from.

"And what do you like about Harry Potter?"

"Well he is the one who killed you-know-who. He is a hero." Ginny answered still not sure where this was going.

"That's it? He is a hero?"

"Well yeah. What more does he need to be?" Ginny asked

"Does he make you smile?" Luna asked.

"Well...no."

"Does Merlyn make you smile?" The smile that broke on Ginny's face was enough of an answer for Luna. Ginny was thinking of the platform when Merlyn stood up to her mom for her, about how every time she received a letter from him she felt elated. How those letters always made her laugh and smile. How his pictures made her heart leap. Then in his last letter Merlyn said how you should like someone for who they are not what they are. Ginny realized that she only liked Harry Potter for what he was, a hero. She liked Merlyn because of who he was. She liked Merlyn. Her eyes returned to Merlyn's picture and she bit her bottom lip while a smile formed. "I guess he does." Luna said.

"Yeah, he does." Ginny replied softly.

"Well now that we have settle that how about we go play?" Luna asked knowing her work was done and now they could just have fun.

"Yeah. Lets go." Ginny answered giving Merlyn's picture one last look before she left with her best friend, a smile still splitting her face.

The weeks leading up to Halloween were busy for Harry, Hermione, and Merlyn. Apart from their schoolwork they were still exorcising in the mornings, tutoring Hermione in transfiguration, brewing the sticking solution, and Harry even had quidditch practice on top of all that. At this point they thought Hermione would get the hang of this new way to transfigure by the end of Christmas break if she kept on the way she was. Hermione was less than happy when they told her thinking that it was too long. That was until they told her that it had taken Harry almost ten months to get it. It wasn't that Harry was dumb or slow. It was simply that when learning this particular technique you kind of have to make your own path. Now you can be told which way to go but not where to put your feet. Ginny and Merlyn had continued writing each other. The twins had kept their promise to forget about Merlyn and Ginny while keeping up with their batches of sticking solution. Harry was worried that they wouldn't have enough to get every one including the teachers by the time Halloween came around. They did have to brew through the night before Halloween to have enough but they got it by the skin of their teeth. "Alright, now we need to get to the Great Hall without getting caught." Harry told everyone.

The twins both looked at each other as if having their own private conversation. Then together they nodded. "Hold on right there Harry we will be right back." The twins said together before bolting out of the bathroom. The trio only had a few minutes to try to figure out exactly what the twins were doing before they returned. The twins came back holding what looked like an old piece of parchment. "Here we are chaps." The twins sung out together. "Now what we are about to show you must never be mentioned to anyone. Understand?" The two asked seriously. They had been planning this reveal for a while now. Truth be told they have been planning it since the sorting feast. If Harry and Merlyn were really Marauders they would know exactly what this was. Time to test their theory.

The trio were looking at the twins as if they had gone insane. Harry and Merlyn looked at each other thinking the same thing, 'The map'. Sirius had told them all about the Marauders map and also how Pettigrew had lost it to Filch during one of his excursions. How on earth did the twins get their hands on it? The only thought in their "heads when the two heard the twins say "I solemnly swear that I am up to no good." was that they needed to get the map back. It belonged to the Marauders. This was a problem for later however. With a nod to each other they agreed to act as if this was completely new to them. After all the point of being a Marauder was to take credit for their work without anyone actually knowing who they were. And after Harry's slip up on the train the twins didn't need any more hints.

The twins made sure to look at Harry and Merlyn discretely from the instant that they reentered the bathroom. The were going to see exactly if these kids were who they thought they were. Harry and Merlyn didn't do anything when they produced the map. When they said the activation phrase however, they saw the looks of surprise on Harry's face and the calculating one on Merlyn's. It was obvious that the two were trying to hide their expressions but Fred and George were masters of the craft and although the two first years were good they weren't anywhere near Fred and George. After all when you had to deal with Molly Weasley your face cannot let out a single sign of guilt. They didn't say anything opting to merely observe for now. "Alright you three grab the flasks and follow us quietly. We will guide you lot down nice and easy. Harry and Merlyn knew exactly how the twins were going to manage this but Hermione was obviously incredibly nervous about the possibility of being caught out long after curfew. Harry noticed the look on Hermione's face and went over to her and whispered in her ear, "Hey don't worry there is no way we will meet anyone. Merlyn and I know exactly what the twins are doing. Trust me. I will tell you exactly how we do this later. We don't want Fred and George to know that we know what they have." Harry's little assurance aloud Hermione to breathe easier. If he said that they will be okay she would believe him. He had never led her astray before after all. It had absolutely nothing to do with the fact that she liked him. None at all. Very cautiously they made their way down to the Great Hall. It took a little while due to the fact that they had to dodge prefects and professors. They made quick work of the Great Hall and made their way back up to their dorms to get what little sleep they could before coming downstairs for breakfast. Merlyn made sure to set up his camera somewhere it wouldn't be noticed.

The next morning all five of them walked down to the Great Hall together. They wanted to get the best seats for today's show. The Great Hall was empty when they arrived and took seats halfway down the Gryffindor table so that they could see the entire Great Hall. They didn't have to wait long for the rest of the school to show up. Apparently everyone here loved Halloween and wanted to get the day started as early as they could. It was a good thing that the five got up even earlier than usual. Everyone seemed to take their seats and...nothing. The five tried to stand up and they couldn't. So the potion worked, so why wasn't anyone reacting. "Um, guys we only have a little under an hour before the potion wears off. What do we do?" Fred asked.

"Oh I have an idea." Merlyn said an evil grin beginning to appear on his face. He slowly took out his wand and pointed it towards the Slytherin table, specifically he pointed his wand near Malfoy. With a muttered spell Malfoy's plate flew up and splattered its contents all over his face. At this point Malfoy tried to leap to his feet but the moment he pushed up he was pulled right back down by the seat of his trousers, which were stuck to the bench, causing most of Slytherin to start laughing. No one else but the Slytherins had noticed. Merlyn hoped it would spread. And it did. Malfoy looked at his house mate across the table from him and picked up a handful of mashed potatoes and threw it as hard as he could. His house mate saw it coming in between laughs and barely made it out of the way. But the potatoes didn't stop they kept on flying right into the back of the head of one Cedric Diggory. And that started everything. Cedric tried to stand and was immediately forced back down as more and more people realized what was going down. People all over were trying to get up and found themselves in the exact same situation as Cedric and Malfoy. Everyone began to panic when a large bang resonated from the ceiling and everyone's eyes turned up. On the ceiling was a message 'Please don't get up on our account. We the Marauders simply want to wish you a Happy Halloween.' There was silence in the Great Hall until someone in Ravenclaw started laughing which in turn spurred on more laughter all over the Great Hall. Eventually almost everyone was laughing including a few teachers. The rest of the teachers were trying to dispell whatever charm was currently rooting them firmly in their seats. Unfortunately none of them realized that it wasn't a spell but a potion, so like everyone else they were stuck. Taking advantage of everyone's laughter Harry pointed his wand and caused a few plates of food to fly into the person eating from it. The entire Great Hall soon was in the midst of the food fight of the century. By the end of breakfast the potion had worn off and everyone but the teachers were covered in food. When the teachers were finally able to get up they did so that they could make it to their classrooms to prepare for their first lessons of the day. When the teachers rose seemingly as one the food fight immediately stopped as the hall once again became silent as all the students watched the teachers exit. The silence didn't last for long when they saw what was written on the back of the potion professor's robes. In bright pink were the words, 'I kissed a boy and I liked it.' When the students saw this the laughter began anew. Merlyn had the twins brew up a color changing potion and paint it onto the back of Snivelus's chair. After all when he finally thought of this he found that he just couldn't wait any longer to do it.

The students all went back to their dorms to shower and change so that they wouldn't be a mess when they went to their first class. Merlyn had retrieved his cameras and set the film in the potion he had prepared the previous night so that the pictures would be ready that evening to send to Ginny. The trio made it through most of their classes and were now heading towards the charms classroom for their last lesson of the day. Throughout the day the talk all through the castle was about breakfast. Everyone seemed to have had a great time in their food fight and everyone was now wondering just who the Marauders were. The charms class was all a buzz when Professor Flitwick set off a bang with his wand to gain everyone's attention. He announced that today they would learn to make things fly. Something everyone was looking forward to ever since Professor Flitwick had made Neville's toad zoom around the room in their first class.

"Remember the wrist action we have been practicing." Flitwick reminded the class. "Swish and flick. Now the incantation is 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Now everyone give it a try." The entire class was soon full of shouts of 'Wingardium Leviosa'. Harry and Merlyn who had been able to do this for a long time now had no difficulty making their feathers fly on their fist go.

Hermione was about to give it a go when she heard Ron shout the incantation incorrectly. His feather remained on his desk motionless. Hermione decided to take a little pity on the boy and help him out. He was in Gryffindor after all. "No Ron, you are putting the emphasis on the wrong syllable. Put the emphasis on the 'O' not the 'A'." She told the boy in as nice a way as she could.

"Oh, look bookworm Granger to the rescue. You're so smart why don't you do it then!" Ron replied nastily.

Hermione who's self confidence had risen thanks to her friends was able to shrug off his insult, even if it still stung a bit. Harry, who was on Hermione's other side, was now glaring at the boy. "Alright then." She said before moving her wand in a perfect swish and flick motion while incantating, "Wingardium Leviosa" her feather then began to slowly float higher and higher eventually joining Harry and Merlyn's feathers near the ceiling.

Professor Flitwick's eyes had caught sight of Hermione's feather rising and then noticed the other two near the ceiling as well. "Well done, well done, you see everyone Ms. Granger, Mr. Potter, and Mr. Ashwood have done it. Congratulations five points a piece to Gryffindor. Ron was now leaning over his feather determined to make it fly while muttering something about teacher's pets and stupid bookworms. By the time the class ended only the trio's feathers had taken flight. As they were leaving the charms classroom the trio overheard Ron who was being rather vocal with his thoughts about a certain 'bookworm'.

"Can you believe her. It's Levioosa not Leviosaa. Honestly it's obvious why she doesn't have any real friends. Potter and Ashwood probably only keep her around so that she can do their homework for them. After all why else would they put up with such a bossy know-it-all. And to top that she is ugly as hell to boot, with her buck teeth and bushy hair. I mean honestly!" Ron was saying loudly. "Look at me I'm Hermione Granger the know-it-all!" Ron said while doing a very unflattering imitation of Hermione. Hermione who had heard the entire rant ran off down the hall balling her eyes out, leaving a stunned Harry and Merlyn in her wake.

"I think you hurt her feelings." Seamus Finnegan said to a now laughing Ron.

"I doubt it. She probably just realized that she doesn't have any real friends and never will." Ron answered still with a smile on his face. Harry and Merlyn had recovered from their state of shock and slowly turned to face the smiling boy.

"Harry go to Hermione. She needs you." Merlyn told his brother.

"And what about you?" Harry asked quickly.

"I'm going to deal with a stupid red head." Harry nodded at Merlyn's response and ran down the hall in the direction he last saw Hermione.

Unfortunately too much time had passed and Harry was soon realized that she had lost him. Well Harry wasn't going to go down to dinner until he found his friend and beat some sense into her. It took him about ten minutes to track her down. Although it was mostly due to luck. He heard a couple of seventh years talking about the crying first year in the bathroom. Harry wasted no time and headed directly to the girls lavatory. When he opened the door he could immediately hear the sounds of a sobbing Hermione coming from one of the back stalls. He walked over to the locked door and knocked. "Hermione?"

"Go away!" Was the only response he got.

"Hermione! It's me, Harry. Please come out." Harry said trying to coax her out of the stall.

"Why? So you can look at my ugly bucked tooth teeth?"

"Hermione you shouldn't believe that git! You are the prettiest witch in the castle! He is just jealous. Please unlock the door." Harry pleaded.

"Oh and where is my other 'friend' Merlyn? He obviously didn't want to come after me. Apparently he is done with the ugly know-it-all bookworm." She said her sobs getting more and more intense.

"Hermione! Merlyn is the one who told me to go after you! Otherwise I would be with him cursing that git of a Weasley into the next century right along with him."

"W-What?" Hermione asked still sniffling and crying although her sobs lessened after hearing that.

"Do you really think that we would let someone make our best friend cry!?" Harry said with vehemence in his voice. That was it if Hermione wouldn't come out he would go in and with a flick of his wand and a quick 'Alohamora' the stall door clicked open. Harry slowly pushed the door open to find Hermione sitting in the corner of the stall hugging her knees to her chest and tears falling down her cheeks. He hated it when she cried. It always made him angry that someone would do such a thing to his best friend. Harry quietly made his way to her and sat down on the floor right next to her before wrapping her up in a hug that she returned. They stayed that way for a while, Harry letting his friend sob into his robes while he uttered soothing words into her ear.

Merlyn had just watched his brother run after one of his best friends when he turned back to face that little git of a Gryffindor. Merlyn was angry. Angrier then he had ever been since he found Harry with a black eye all those years ago. Seamus had seen the look on Merlyn's face and quickly told his friend to shut up. Ron followed Seamus's eyes and Ron saw a pissed off Merlyn Ashwood starring holes through him. "What are you so mad about?" Ron asked. "It isn't as if you didn't know she was a bossy know-it-all. And I have seen her help you with your homework. You can't actually like the bitch." Merlyn saw red. He was so intent on the git that he didn't even notice the thick black clouds of smoke coming from the end of his wand. Everyone else seemed to notice though and wisely stepped away from Ron.

Merlyn raised his wand and with a quick "Petrificus Totalus" got Ron in a full body bind. Not wasting a beat he started laying into the boy with round after round of stinging hexes. He didn't stop until a very shocked Professor Flitwick came out of the classroom and cast a shield charm to protect the downed boy and demand to know what was going on. "He was going at Hermione!" a still angry Merlyn shouted still not taking his eye's off of the cause of all this. "He called her a bossy know-it-all bookworm bitch!"

Professor Flitwick quickly dispelled the full body bind on the Weasley. "Is this true Mr. Weasley?" He asked. Ron was too hurt to actually speak but at the sight of Merlyn's glare quickly nodded. "I see. Well be that as it may there is no fighting in the halls Mr. Ashwood. You will have two nights detention next week with Filch Mr. Ashwood. And I will be informing your head of house about this incident. Now may I suggest everyone head down to the Great Hall for dinner and no more fighting." Professor Flitwick said and everyone dispersed. Ron limping due to still hurting from all the stinging hexes he received on account of Merlyn.

Merlyn entered the Great Hall still relatively steamed at Ron. He looked around for his brother and best friend but could find neither. He figured that Harry must still be with Hermione trying to get her to calm down and see reason. Merlyn decided to find a seat and wait for them. After ten minutes and still nothing Merlyn decided to go find them himself when right as he stood up the doors to the Great Hall flew open and a very frightened Professor Quirrell ran in shouting "Troll in the dungeon!" Before fainting.

Dumbledore immediately stood and announced that the prefects should lead the students back to their common rooms. Everyone quickly stood and followed their prefects. Merlyn however still didn't know where Harry and Hermione were. They didn't know about the Troll! He needed to find them and fast. He quickly searched the sea of students for a pair of red heads. The moment he spotted them he made his way to them grabbing their shirts and pulling them into an adjacent hallway.

"Merlyn! What are you doing? We need to get back to the common room." George asked.

"Harry and Hermione weren't at dinner." Merlyn said causing the twins to begin to worry. "I was hoping you could use the map to find them."

"I guess it is a good thing we kept it on us after we finished up last night." Fred said pulling out the old piece of parchment. "I solemnly swear I am up to no good...Here they are! In the girls bathroom on the fourth floor." That was all Merlyn needed to hear as he took off down the hall.

Hermione was still on the floor of the girls bathroom cuddled up next to Harry. Harry is the best friend that she could ask for. He just sat there hugging her letting her cry into his chest. It felt as if she had no more tears left. She looked up at Harry's smiling face and couldn't hold back one of her own. 'He truly cares for me.' Hermione thought as she looked deeply into his intense green eyes while he gazed just as deeply into her dark brown ones. Harry began leaning toward Hermione and put his forehead against hers never once taking his eyes from hers. "Hermione, I..." Harry paused trying to think of how to put it. Hermione's eyes were widening and her brain was going a mile a minute. 'Was he about to say what I think he is!?'

Before Harry could finish the door to the bathroom was thrown open and the two heard Merlyn's voice cry out, "Harry! Hermione! Where are you!?" causing the two to pull back from each other a blush creeping up on both of their cheeks.

"We are right here Lynn." Harry said a little flustered standing up and holding his hand out to Hermione to help her do the same. "You know we would have been down soon. You didn't have to come searching for us." Harry told Merlyn who by now had joined the two in the final stall.

"Oh yes I did! There is a troll loose in the castle! We need to get back to our common room! Now!" Merlyn quickly turned around and left the stall quickly followed by the other two. They only made it a few steps when all three froze in place. "Oh, bugger." Merlyn whimpered. Standing in front of them, holding a club that was larger than any of them, was a large five meter tall troll.

"Well brother dear go get him." Harry deadpanned.

"Care to explain why I am the volunteer here?" Merlyn asked in a rather terse voice.

"Because you're better than I am at fighting." Harry said still bewildered by the troll.

"Yoouuu suck." Merlyn answered in a monotone trying his best to come up with a plan to get them past the troll without getting bashed into paste. "Okay I've got an idea but you had better be ready to run. Hooray for mom teaching us anatomy." Merlyn said still in a very unsure tone. He lifted his solid oak wand and pointed it directly at the troll's eyes and cast two successive colour changing charms. The moment the two charms hit both of the troll's eyes turned solid black startling the giant beast. And a startled troll is never a good thing. Leaning forward and raising his club the troll roared as he charged at the last spot he saw the three. The trio were ready however and dived out of the way causing the troll to run head first into the wall with a sickening crack. The troll stayed up for a few seconds before falling to the ground.

"Is it dead?" Hermione asked in a scared stutter.

"I don't think so. I think it is only knocked out." Harry answered. "Way to go Lynn. Knew you could do it."

Merlyn just shook his head in disbelief at how lucky they were. He was about to suggest that they got the hell out of there when the door to the bathroom burst open to reveal a bunch of professors. They had their wands raised ready to attack the troll when they froze at the sight before them. They saw three first years standing around a downed troll. "What on earth happened here?" Shouted a very stunned Professor McGonagall.

"Um...well," Hermione began when Harry interrupted telling the entire story starting at the end of charms class. To say that Minerva was shocked was the understatement of the century.

"And why didn't you think to inform a teacher Mr. Ashwood?" Minerva asked in a stern voice making Merlyn wince. When Auntie Minerva called him Mr. Ashwood it was never good.

"Um well I was just trying to let them know about the troll. It wasn't like I actually wanted to meet up with it." Merlyn defended. Minerva simply stood there glaring at her two nephews and their friend.

"Wait a moment." Minerva said suddenly remembering the end of Harry's tale. "Do you mean to tell me that you defeated a fully grown mountain troll with only two colour changing charms?" Minerva asked gobsmacked causing the other teachers to all go wide eyed at this. Merlyn nodded. "Well, that will be twenty points to Gryffindor. For courage in seeking out your friends and shear dumb luck. Now make your way back to the common room where the feast will be continued." With that the trio ran out of the bathroom and back up to Gryffindor tower. They ate in silence to tired to do anything else. Once they had enough they said their goodnights and headed up to their respective dormitories. Harry and Hermione both got changed and went straight to bed. Merlyn although tired wanted to get his letter to Ginny written and sent off before turning in.

The next morning at the Burrow Ginny was sitting at the table eating breakfast with her parents. She wasn't paying much attention to her food as she gazed out of the window hoping to see the familiar eagle owl. Ginny and Merlyn had been writing each other at least twice a week since Ginny had her talk with Luna. The letters were more snippets out of each others diaries then your average letters. It is safe to say that the two are getting to know each other very well. But today was different today was the day after Halloween. The day that she would finally get to read about the prank that her brothers were helping Harry, Hermione, and Merlyn to pull on the entire school. She had heard of many pranks the twins have pulled over the years but they had never pranked the entire school in one go. She had been waiting for this letter ever since Lynn told her about his plan a little over a month ago. Arthur and Molly had both noticed a change in their daughter. Usually she would simply mope around the house during the school year missing her brothers. This year however Ginny had reconnected with her best friend Luna and then there were those letters. Ginny always seemed light as air after reading the newest letter from her friend Merlyn. Initially Arthur wasn't very pleased about Ginny's pen pal being a boy but over the last month had seen how happy his letters made her and there was nothing more important to him then his little girl's happiness. He was beginning to warm up to the boy simply from the effect that Merlyn seemed to have on his daughter.

"So are we waiting for another letter from Mr. Ashwood?" Molly teased her daughter. Ginny was so entranced in watching for Kasper that she simply nodded absently. Molly was happy to see that the self dubbed Ginevra Molly Potter book, which had countless signatures of her supposed future name after she married Harry Potter. The particular book seemed to have disappeared after Luna's first visit. Molly couldn't help but wonder if she would find an Ashwood version somewhere. It wasn't long before a certain eagle owl swooped in through the window and landed right in front of Ginny. Before Ginny could even ask Molly excused her from the table and watched her daughter run up to her room. "That girl is smitten." Molly said to her husband.

"Well I can't say I'm upset about her giving up her crush on Harry Potter. Not that I don't think he is a good man, after all I've never even met him, but harboring a crush for over four years on a boy that she has never even met can't be healthy." Arthur said.

Ginny ran into her room with Kasper following right behind her as has been the routine for almost every letter. Ginny jumped on her bed and unfolded the letter and began reading.

 _Dear Gin,_

 _I'm not even sure where to begin. A lot has happened today that goes far beyond the prank we pulled on the school. Well I guess it's just best to start at the beginning. The prank went off wonderfully! It was absolutely fantastic! Everyone was stuck to their seats and we may have taken the opportunity to start the best food fight ever! But you better just take a look at the pictures. They show it far better than I could ever describe it. Oh and make sure to take a look at the one of the back of Snape's robes!_

Ginny reached into the envelope and pulled out at least ten pictures. The moving pictures all depicted the entire Great Hall in a massive food fight. Ginny was laughing at the sight when she found the one of Professor Snape leaving. On the back of his robes were the words 'I kissed a boy and I liked it'. At this point Ginny fell backwards holding her stomach she was laughing so hard. It was perfect. Now this was a prank! Fred and George had never done anything like this before. What made the prank so great was that it seemed that everyone except the teachers and a few students seemed to be smiling and having a blast! She looked through the pictures again trying to find her Merlyn. When she did a smile broke her face in two. There he was covered in eggs and ketchup, he looked like he was having the time of his life as he would reach for any food he could find and throw it across the hall randomly simply hoping to hit someone. It took a few minutes before she got her laughter under control and picked up the letter again.

 _The best part of it all was that no one wanted to be the one to tell Snivelus what was on the back of his robes so he ended up wearing the robes the entire day!_

This caused Ginny to go into a new round of giggles. She was happy that Lynn had found a way to get that horrid teacher.

 _The rest of the day was kind of boring until our last class, charms. Today we learned how to make objects fly, which, by the way, Harry and I have been able to do for years. This is when the trouble all started, and I hope you don't get mad at me, but it was all your git of a brother, Ron's, fault._

This gave Ginny pause, what had her brother done? Sure he never exactly had good table manners but he was pretty much harmless. It took a second for her to realize that she had already taken Lynn's side rather than defend her brother. But then whenever Lynn had called someone a git before like with Snape, and Malfoy he was right.

 _Well our friend Hermione noticed that he was having some trouble with the spell and for some reason tried to help the git. He seemed offended. Offended! That the smartest witch in our year was trying to help him and told her to do the spell if she was so clever. Well she did and did it perfectly. This apparently didn't sit to well with your brother. After class we were leaving when we overheard Ron saying, and I am quoting here, that "Can you believe her. It's Levioosa not Leviosaa. Honestly it's obvious why she doesn't have any real friends. Potter and Ashwood probably only keep her around so that she can do their homework for them. After all why else would they put up with such a bossy know-it-all. And to top that she is ugly as hell to boot, with her buck teeth and bushy hair."_

Ginny had to put the letter down when she read what her brother had said. That had to be one of the meanest things he had ever said, and she had heard her brother say some mean things. Some even to her. She had to wait a little before she could get her anger in check. She knew that her brother had a bit of an inferiority complex but how could he say those horrible things? Especially about the person who was only trying to help him. That git!

 _Well unfortunately Hermione heard the entire rant and broke into tears and ran off. I sent Harry after her and then went off on your brother. Please don't be mad at me but I may have put him in the hospital wing with the amount of stinging hexes I hit him with. I actually didn't stop until Professor Flitwick, the charms professor, stepped in. He not only took points from me but gave me two detentions for fighting! I know he is your brother and all but he is a git!_

At this point Ginny was a little torn she should be horrified that Lynn had hurt her brother but she just couldn't find any sympathy for the git! She thought that Ron had it coming for what he said.

 _And I would like to point out right now that Hermione is not ugly at all. In fact she is rather pretty. Not that it really matters to me. After all the girl I like is the most beautiful girl I have ever met with the most amazing fiery red hair. She is sweet, kind, funny, charming, and the list goes on. Unfortunately she won't be at Hogwarts till next year. But I still love writing to her and hearing all about her life at home._

After reading that first sentence her gut tightened up painfully. Her crush thought that his best friend was pretty. It wasn't until she read on that her heart broke. She really liked Lynn and now he tells her that he has been writing to the girl that he likes. It hurt far more than she could have ever imagined. It felt like her chest was going to explode as she threw the letter away and clutched her pillow to her as she began to sob.

Molly was currently finishing up the dishes after seeing her husband off to work. She glanced towards the stairs wondering where her daughter was. Normally by this time she would see Ginny practically skipping down the stairs after a letter from Merlyn. After another half hour and still no sign of Ginny she decided to go up and get her. She may like this boy but she still had chores to do. Just as she reached the landing she could hear the muffled sounds of heavy crying coming from her daughter's room. She knocked and when she didn't get an answer slowly turned the knob and entered to find a sobbing Ginny curled up on her bed clutching her pillow. "Ginny! What's wrong dear!?" Molly exclaimed rushing over to her daughter's side and scooping her into a tight hug.

"L-L-Lynn d-d-doesn't l-l-like me!" Ginny wailed. 'Oh dear.' Molly thought. Molly didn't think she would have to deal with something like this for at least another few years.

"Oh dear. How do you know he doesn't like you?" Molly asked thinking back to the few letters that Ginny had shown her. If anything she thought that the young boy actually liked her daughter.

"It is in his letter. He told me he already likes another girl!" Ginny continued to wail. She really liked Merlyn and had hoped that his cluelessness would have lasted until at least next year when she would be at Hogwarts. But apparently not.

'Oh dear.' Molly thought once again as she picked up the letter that Ginny had cast away. 'Maybe he isn't as clueless as I thought.' Molly thought as she began to read the letter. 'Oh my another prankster.' she thought as she went through the photo's. 'Well, at least with his pranks everyone seemed to be having a good time.' Once finished with the photos she turned back to the letter and read the bit about Ron. Molly was now turning red with anger. What Ron had done went beyond being just nasty and was purposefully hurtful. She was just thinking of how to word a howler to her son when she read about how he ended up in the hospital wing. Until now she was actually beginning to like this Merlyn boy. But now she wasn't sure what to think he did after all attack her son, even if it was her son who insulted his friend. She was brought out of her thoughts by another sob from her daughter. 'One thing at a time. I'll discuss it with Arthur tonight.' She thought as she decided to put this event on the back burner. She had a daughter to deal with now, she would deal with this situation later. Molly then continued her reading. Her eyes widened when they finished reading the next part and she slowly looked at her daughter. As far as she could tell the description that Merlyn gave described Ginny perfectly. By this time Ginny's sobs had calmed down to sniffles and tears. Molly knew she needed to do something and that her daughter's self image wasn't exactly the best due to living in a house full of boys. Maybe this would be the perfect time to fix that. Even though she was now a little wary about this boy, her daughter needed this. "Ginny dear, I want you to think carefully has Merlyn ever mentioned writing anyone other than you?" She couldn't just come out and tell her daughter that she was heartbroken because the boy actually liked her. She needed to figure this out but that didn't mean she couldn't give her daughter a nudge.

Ginny thought about it and shook her head. "No but..."

Molly didn't give her a chance to finish that thought. "Now how does Merlyn feel about your letters?"

"He says he loves them." Ginny replied her tears stopping in shock. No. Merlyn couldn't be talking about her. Could he? No, he said that she was beautiful. Something that Ginny knew for a fact she was not. Her tears starting once again.

"And what have you two been writing about?"

"Well he writes about Hogwarts and then he will normally tell me a story about something funny that happened at home. I just tell him about the Burrow." Ginny answered before thinking back to the letter and snatching it out of her mother's grasp. She read and reread that particular section again and again before it finally dawned on her. "He is talking about me?" She whispered looking up at her mom. When her mom smiled and nodded Ginny's disposition did a complete 180. Ginny jumped onto her mother and giving her a hug the likes of which could rival her mom's. "He likes me! He likes me! He likes me!" Ginny shouted over and over as she let go of her mom and started dancing around the room eventually picking up Kasper and twirling around holding Kasper in her outstretched arms, still shouting that Lynn liked her. "He does like me right, Kasper?" She asked the owl as she stopped her spinning wanting to get this confirmation. With a bob of his head and a hoot Ginny pulled the owl into a crushing hug.

Seeing her daughter like this made Molly's heart melt. Rarely had she seen her daughter so happy. She would still be talking to her husband about the boy but couldn't help but her wariness softened when she realized how happy he had been making her daughter. She thought it would be best if she left her daughter to her new found jubilation and so headed back downstairs. 'Those chores can wait a little longer I suppose.' she thought to herself as she went to finish up in the kitchen.

Ginny was still dancing around in her room happier then she could ever remember. She stopped twirling when she caught sight of one of Lynn's pictures on her desk. She ran over and picked it up bringing it to her lips, vowing right then and there that she would do the same thing to the real Lynn the very next time she saw him. She then slowly walked back over to her bed with the picture not believing she would ever put it down again. She picked up the letter once again and for what felt like the hundredth time read the section on her again. She stopped then when she read the first line. ' _The most beautiful girl I have ever met with the most amazing fiery red hair_.' He thought she, Ginny Weasley, was beautiful? No not just beautiful but the most beautiful girl he had ever met? She got up and made her way to the full size mirror in her wardrobe. "He thinks I am beautiful?" She asked out loud not quite believing it. Kasper softly landed on her shoulder and answered her question with a bob of his head and a hoot. "Really?" another bob and hoot followed. At that Ginny's heart melted. The only people who had ever called her beautiful before were her parents and well they were her parents. No one else seemed to think so, especially her brothers. Well that's not fair Bill and Charlie had called her beautiful but then they were her brothers. With a smile that could light up the city of London Ginny returned to the letter.

 _Well after the incident with Ron I went down to dinner and waited for Harry and Hermione. But they never showed. I was about to go look for them when Professor Quirrell ran into the hall screaming about a troll in the dungeons. The headmaster told us all to go to our common rooms but I couldn't go back, not without Harry and Hermione! So I went off to find them and I did, they were in the girls bathroom. Now this is the scary part. After I told them about the toll and that we needed to go we left the stall they had been in only to come face to face with the TROLL! I was so scared! This thing was at least five meters tall and carrying a club that was bigger than we are! Oh and guess what my brother says. "Well brother dear go get him." Seriously what the hell was I supposed to do!? I didn't even come up to its bloody knee! When I asked him why I was being volunteered he said it was because I was the better fighter. Well you can't argue with logic like that can you. Well I did the only thing I could think of. And yes now that I am looking back at it I may have been a little too hopeful. But I can't exactly complain as everything worked out. But this is what I did I figured if I could blind it then we could sneak by. I had no intention of actually trying to beat the smelly thing. I fired off two colour changing spells causing its eyes to turn black. Well it didn't exactly have the intended effect. The bloody thing went into a rage and charged us. I thought we were doomed but we were able to dive out of the way at the last second and the troll ran headfirst into the wall knocking itself out! Can you believe it!? Two bloody colour changing charms is apparently all you need to knock out a mountain troll! Guess what happened next. Not a minute later the teachers all appeared in the doorway. What timing right?Well of course the teachers all wanted to know what happened and Harry told them everything. Once the story was out Aunt Minerva calmed down a bit and even awarded me twenty points for, what she calls, shear dumb luck. Actually I would have to agree with her about the dumb luck part. Anyway I need to get to bed. This whole thing has me still shaking if you couldn't tell from my writing._

 _Sweet Dreams,_

 _Lynn_

Ginny had no idea what to feel after reading this. While she read it she felt pride in her Lynn, fear that he would be killed, mirthful at the brothers banter, and so many other emotions that she couldn't make heads or tails of any of them. She had just come close to loosing her Lynn and she didn't even know it. She had just found him she couldn't loose him. What would happen if he actually... and then he just writes it all off with a sweet dreams. Ginny simply stood as if in a daze and went downstairs to sit next to the fire, unconsciously taking her pillow with her.

Kasper flew down hooting all the way trying to find out what happened to the nice girl. He followed her into the den and took up a position on the back of the chair she was sitting in still hooting away trying to get her to say something.

Molly just came inside from feeding the chickens when she heard hooting coming from the den. She wasn't expecting any owls. When she reached the doorway she found her daughter sitting in an armchair in front of the fire, clutching her pillow and as silent as the grave. The hooting was coming from a worried looking eagle owl dancing over the back of the chair. Just how many 180s was her daughter going to pull today? Well better get to the bottom of this. She might have to write Merlyn and tell him he needs to work on how he words his letters from now on. "Ginny dear? Are you alright?" For an answer Ginny just held out the letter and pointed at the last section. Molly began to read it and the farther down she got the more her eyes threatened to explode from her head.

 **A/N: Now once again i would like to thank you all for supporting the story. All the reviews i receive are such a good boost to my non existent writers ego. There are times when i just sit down and look at all the reviews before continuing on my writing. As a new writer i am always nervous how each new chapter will be received and your reviews help put that nervousness to rest. Please keep them coming.**

 **Now i would like to mention something about Merlyn's vault. Yes it is empty. As you all know he is THE Merlin. But after a certain amount of time after his disappearance he was declared dead and his last will and testament was carried out which is why there is nothing left. And the reason there is even a vault still there for him was due to the fact that Merlin was one of the primary investors in Gringotts. Generally businesses will give incentives to get their first few investors and this is exactly what happened with Merlyn.**

 **Now that all of that is said and done i would once again like to thank you all.**

 **Please let me know what you think and review.**

 **Until next time.**


	14. Chapter 14: The New Marauders

**A/N: Hello again everyone. I am sorry for the late update but I have had a lot to think about with this chapter and the story in general. First was about the romances were progressing and then the pairings got to me a bit. So i have decided to actually write another story that is an AU of this one. I have grown quite attatched to Merlyn. The AU will be Harry/Ginny and Merlyn/surprise. However the delay was mostly due to how i want the romances to progress. I was given some great advice from honeybear84 and nesciamema and would like to thank both of them for their help. Now I am not sure when i will be starting the AU as this is my main story and will be writing this for the foreseeable future. My next few updates will likely be slow as i am an actor and i have shows coming up as well as a few auditions so please bare with me. Now enough about all of that, please enjoy.**

Molly had just finished reading the last part of Merlyn's letter. 'That boy!' she thought. Lucky or not that boy took down a fully grown mountain troll with nothing but two colour changing spells! This boy was something else indeed. But the fact that a mountain troll was able to actually enter Hogwarts was something that scared her to no end. She had four children there after all. And next year it would be five. Dumbledore would be receiving a very vocal letter from her regarding school safety. But once again she found herself filing that little job away for later as she now had what appeared to be a catatonic daughter to deal with. Today was just going to be one of those days. "Ginny? Ginny dear?" Molly asked trying to get through to her daughter along with a certain hooting owl.

"Mom, he could have died." Ginny let out in a soft monotone voice.

"Now dear I know that this is not normal but you know things happen at Hogwarts. There are accidents all the time and I know that this is very different from a stray spell but... look don't you think that he would have told you if he was hurt?" Molly asked trying to sooth her daughter and bring her back to the land of the living.

"Yes, no, I don't know. He... I... We just... and now..." Ginny said not really knowing what to say or think. "Mom." She said with new tears in her eyes as she turned her head to look at her mother. Molly was heartbroken seeing that look on her daughters face. 'Merlyn you better not get into any more dangerous adventures. I don't think my daughter can take it.' Molly thought as she wrapped her arms around her daughter.

"It's alright Ginny. Besides do you really think he would let himself get hurt like that before he got to see you again?" Molly asked with a smile and Ginny shook her head and gave her mom a small smile. "That boy seems besotted with you. He won't let anything stop him from seeing you again." Molly added not knowing if Merlyn actually liked her daughter that much but it seemed to be the way to get through to her so she ran with it. "Now why don't you go upstairs and write to the young man and make sure that he will be there to see you when we pick up your brothers at the end of the school year."

Ginny made her way to the stairs before turning back to her mom. "Um, could I invite him here over Christmas break?" Ginny asked hopefully.

"I'm sorry dear but no." Ginny saddened at this as her mother continued. "You see we won't be here for break we are going to visit Charlie in Romania." Ginny immediately put on a smile. She hadn't seen her brother in such a long time. It would be great to see him again although she was still a little disappointed that she would have to wait till the end of the year to see Lynn. Ginny then went upstairs to write that letter. She was going to show him that she liked him, and liked him for who he was.

What happened the previous night was of course being kept under wraps so of course by morning the entire school new about it. The trio entered the Great Hall and were instantly on the receiving end of many stares. "Hey at least they aren't staring at me this time." Harry said making Hermione giggle. Merlyn however was not enjoying the spotlight.

"Just be glad you weren't up in the girl's dormitory this morning. I was grilled all about last night. Just a heads up you might want to be wary of Lavender, she seems to have a thing for you." Hermione said still giggling.

"Great! Just great! Harry promise me that next time you take out the troll." Merlyn begged his brother.

"No way Lynn. I am loving not being at the receiving end of those stares." Harry said smiling at his brother.

"I said it before and I'll say it again. Yooouuu suck." Merlyn breathed out. God he hated being the center of attention. He didn't mind it so much if it was his friends giving the attention but he didn't really know almost any of these people. "Come on lets just eat and get to class." Merlyn was so glad it was Friday. The day went by with many more stares and a lot of ribbing from Harry and Hermione. By the end of the day Merlyn had enough and after dinner just went straight up to his dormitory. When he closed the door behind him and went to his bed he saw something and probably the only thing that could make him smile today. Kasper with a letter from Ginny. Merlyn went over to his owl and gave him a hug before untying the letter from his leg.

 _Dear Lynn,_

 _Your letter did a real number on me. You know I think it's good you have a girl you like so much that you don't even seem to notice all the girls who are trying to throw themselves at you. In fact I feel that it is only fair that I tell you about the boy that I like. He has to be the sweetest, most charming boy I know. You know I met him at King's Cross station, he tipped over his cart and was on the ground and I just had to go and help him. After he got situated he escorted me onto platform 9 ¾. Which was very sweet. You won't believe what happened next. When we got onto the platform my mom came over and started yelling at me for getting separated from her. And make no mistake my mom is scary when she is mad, but guess what this boy did. Go ahead and guess. He stepped in front of me and said that it was all his fault. Can you even imagine how much courage that took? And then right before the train took off for Hogwarts he came up to me and asked if he could write me. Me of all people! No one writes me. My brothers all promise too but it never happens. So do you know what this boy said. He said that if he didn't write me the very next day that I could turn his hair pink! Of course I said yes. Well the next day came and there was no letter at breakfast, lunch, or dinner and I was devastated yet someone else who made a promise to me and didn't keep it. I was crying on my bed for what felt like hours when a tapping came from my window. It was an owl! His owl! Guess what, not only did he write me a letter, he also sent me a couple of pictures. I love the fact that he can laugh at himself. In fact all of his letters have been amazing, well except for the last one. He wrote to me and told me about how he fought a mountain troll! That brave idiot! He could have gotten hurt or worse and yet I'm sure he would do it again without a second thought if it meant saving his brother and friend. That is something that I love about him. Although I would very much prefer it if he didn't go after anymore mountain trolls in the future._

Merlyn had to laugh at that last sentence. Yeah he would prefer not going up against any more mountain trolls in the future either.

 _Anyway that's enough of the amazing boy I like. On to your prank. It was fantastic! I can't believe that you actually pranked the entire school like that. I have to say that you should give Fred and George lessons on what a prank is supposed to be. Everyone looked like they were having the time of their lives with that food fight. The twins normally only care about their own fun and not everyone else's. And what you did to the potion's professor was priceless! I loved it! I'm sorry for what my git of a brother said. I don't know why but for some reason he seems to want to prove that he is better than everyone else and when he fails he tends to get rather pissy. I know that the quidditch season is starting soon so please tell your brother I am rooting for him. I can't wait for your next letter._

 _Love_

 _Gin_

 _P.S. Please remember to tell that stupid wonderful boy that I like so much NO MORE TROLLS!_

Merlyn set the letter down and went back to his bed, but this time he was smiling and thinking 'Right, no more trolls, Gin.'

Harry and Hermione just watched their friend and brother walk up to the boys dormitory. The two found an open space on the couch in front of the fire and sat down pulled out their books and began studying. The had a nice long essay for Professor Snape and they wanted to get it over and done with as soon as they could. It took a good long time for them to finish. When they finally did they realized just how late it was. "God it's almost one, Hermione. That took a lot longer than expected. I guess Snape isn't as good a sport as the rest of the school is, huh?"

"I guess not." Hermione said as she stood up and stretched. "But it wasn't too bad only three feet of parchment. I suppose Lynn will just have to do his tomorrow. You know, I really don't understand how you and Lynn can brew almost any potion in our book and yet when it comes to essays you two have a hard time even getting one foot of parchment done."

"Well when our dad taught us he didn't exactly have us write essays." Harry let out with a chuckle. "I have to say though I am not looking forward to these upcoming quidditch practices."

Hermione was stunned. Harry loved flying and quidditch. "What!? Harry I thought you loved flying?"

"I do! I do! It isn't the flying that has got to me it's Wood's practices."

"Harry I've watched you practice and you always seemed to love it."

"I have but I got a heads up from George, or was it Fred I cant tell the difference, but apparently those were preseason practices. Now according to whichever twin the practices are going to be monstrous."

Hermione sat back down next to Harry and just kept quiet for a bit before speaking. "Harry when you started exercising did you get sore and tired out like me?" Harry nodded. "How about when you started training with your mom?" Again Harry nodded. "Well then why would this be any different? Wouldn't it make since that you are using new muscles riding a broom. I mean riding a broom isn't exactly like riding a bike or a horse, now is it?" Harry shook his head.

"So the practices should get easier?"

"Well I doubt you will stop needing a shower afterwards, but yes. I mean once you get used to riding for long periods of time it should get a lot easier. I know you rode at home but were you pulling the kinds of stunts you are now?" Harry once again shook his head. "Exactly. I bet training with your mom got a lot easier after a while too right?" Harry nodded with his eye's widening.

"Hermione, you are a genius! You know that right!?" Harry exclaimed. Hermione's face took on a red hue. "I guess that I now have a new exercise for the morning." Harry said now with a look of relief on his face. "Hopefully this extra flying time will help these upcoming practices not be torture. After all I would hate for flying to become a chore rather than a release." Hermione smiled at that. "Hell I could use a flight right now if it wasn't so dark. I would even go out now if I didn't think I would get caught. It's too bad that Fred and George are already asleep or I would grab the map from them." Hermione's interest was immediately peaked at that last bit.

"What map, Harry?"

"Oh...umm...well I am not exactly supposed to..." Harry was about to finish telling Hermione that he was supposed to keep it a secret and that she should just forget it. But she knew exactly what was happening and quickly put on her best puppy dog eyes.

"Pleeeeaaaasse." Hermione let out slowly keeping her puppy dog expression up. Inwardly she was thanking Lavender Brown for telling her about this look. Apparently it got her a few new dresses over the years. Lavender said that it was the all powerful key to getting a boy do what you want. Hermione wasn't so sure about it until she gave it a try on Harry a few weeks ago. It wasn't even with anything big. She just wanted to test it and so one morning while they were at breakfast she reached over and grabbed a piece of bacon from Harry's plate. Harry immediately turned to her with his mouth agape. Right as he was about to complain Hermione hit him with the look causing him to sputter searching for words before finally giving up and grabbing a new piece of bacon. He did seem to be upset so Hermione decided to quickly use the follow up that Lavender said was an absolute necessity. She leaned over slightly and gave Harry a kiss on the cheek. This caused Harry to jolt and spin his head to look at her. She just bit her lower lip and turn back to her newly acquired bacon. She wasn't quite sure how it went over until she made a quick glance over to see if Harry was still upset. He had a bit of a blush on his cheeks and was smiling as he ate his breakfast. From then on she decided to experiment a bit more with this new found weapon of hers.

"Not fair!...Fine." Harry intimated with a sour tone. "You know you need to stop that." He told her. Harry was not liking that look at all. It seemed as though she could get him to do whatever she wanted and she seemed immune to it when he tried it on her. Hell when he tried it she just laughed and said that while he was cute that look didn't work on girls. What he didn't know was that it almost had and Hermione was having to fight the urge to give in with everything she had. "Look it's not like we weren't going to tell you anyway but with everything going on it just kind of took a back seat. I mean we only found out that Fred and George had it the other day and then the prank and the troll. Well this has to do with my parents and our uncle Sirius when they were here."

"But I thought your mom and dad were muggles?" Harry paused at that. He loved his mom and dad. But that doesn't mean he wished he had gotten to know his mother and father. Sure he had heard plenty of stories from his uncle Sirius and even seen photographs, but still.

"No I mean my birth parents." Harry sadly informed her. His eyes drifted down to his feet. Hermione was aghast at what she just said. She quickly moved to put a comforting arm around Harry's shoulders.

"Harry I am so sorry! I didn't mean to..." Hermione got out before Harry jumped back in.

"It's okay Hermione you didn't know I was talking about them." Harry told her giving her a sad smile so that she would know he wasn't upset with her. "When my birth parents were here for school my father, uncle Sirius, a man named Remus Lupin, and another man by the name of Peter Pettigrew were best friends and a group of pranksters. They called themselves the 'Marauders' and were legendary. Did you notice the teachers reactions at the sorting feast. When the message appeared they were all shocked. Well that is because Merlyn and I are the new Marauders. And well we were hoping to get a few more pranks under our belt before we told you but with the map and all."

"Wow, just wow. Well at least now I know why you guys love to prank so much. It's genetic." Hermione said smiling at Harry.

"Well yes and no. Don't get me wrong I love the pranking but it was my brother who got me into it. You know the first prank I saw him pull was on our muggle teacher. She was always rude and mean to me and well Lynn didn't like it. So one day he put a water balloon up above the door to the teachers lounge while it was recess and it fell right on top of the teachers head. I never knew how he got it to work as we didn't know how when she would come out of the lounge but now I know he used his magic to nudge the balloon at just the right time. And ever since then I fell in love with pranking. Then of course our Mom and Dad encouraged us but only allowed us to do pranks that involved magic. They thought it would help us learn how to use and control it. And they were right." Harry said to Hermione's growing astonishment. "Well we won't get our names until we find out what our animagus forms are. If we even have them. That is when we will become true Marauders, and don't worry we had already decided to ask you to be one with us but well, we weren't going to bring it up for a while. Now that the cat is out of the bag, do you want to?" Harry asked his best friend hoping that she would say yes.

Hermione was speechless. She didn't know what to say. "Umm...well are we going to pull any malicious pranks?"

"Well only if someone really deserves it like Snape. Otherwise it will probably just be like the one we did on Halloween."

"Oh...Okay I'm in." Hermione said with a smile which made Harry smile in response. "But you still haven't told me about this supposed map." Hermione pointed out.

"Oh, well my uncle Sirius, Remus Lupin, and my father made it while they were here. It shows the entire school and everyone in it. I have been wanting to see it for a while now. But my uncle Sirius said that Pettigrew lost it in their seventh year." Harry told her with a certain amount of distaste in his voice when Pettigrew's name came up.

"Harry I don't want to pry but why do you seem to not like this Pettigrew person? I mean wasn't he one of your parent's best friends?"

"Oh he was while at school, but he joined up with Voldemort and hand delivered me and my parents to him. He is the reason my parents are dead." Harry said with venom in his voice.

Hermione gasped as she wrapped her arms around her friend. "Oh, Harry! I am so sorry!" Harry just gave her a weak smile.

"Not only that he set up my uncle Sirius and is the reason why he was in Azkaban all those years! The man is nothing but a sniveling rat!" Hermione was distraught at this news and quickly tried to turn the conversation back to something else.

"So where is the map now?"

"Well funnily enough Fred and George have it...and speak of the devils." Harry said as the two Weasley twins were making their way down the dormitory stairs holding the very piece of parchment that Harry was telling Hermione about. "Well hello there." Harry greeted the twins shocking them out of their conversation.

"Well hello there little Harrikens" One of the twins began.

"And if it isn't little Hermione."

"Are we getting up to naughty things."

"Down here in the common room."

"For shame." They finished with a matching set of grins.

"Actually we were just having a little Marauder talk." Harry informed them causing their grins to become ones of mischief.

"Oh...is that so?" Fred asked.

"Yep, in fact I was wondering if we may be able to come to some sort of an agreement." Harry told them getting an idea of how to get the map. "We were thinking of recruiting a few more mischief makers into the New Marauders. You wouldn't know of anyone who would be interested would you?"

The twins looked at each other with glee and walked right up to Harry and Hermione. "We would like to put our names forward as candidates to join the ranks of the illustrious Marauders." Fred and George said together in a grandiose fashion.

"Hmm... Well first I think that we should talk about terms don't you?" Harry replied.

"Terms? Little Harrikens?" George said his eyebrows rising.

"Well of course. After all the Marauders would like their possession back. After all I am the rightful owner of the Marauders Map." Seeing the twins simultaneous intake of breath continued on. "As the son of Prongs I do believe that the lost map should fall to me. However any prospective candidates who are looking to join the Marauders should note that said artifact is for the unrestricted use of all New Marauders as has been put down by Mister Padfoot." Through it all both of the twins' jaws dropped and their eyes threatened to leave their sockets.

"Mister Padfoot?" Fred got out. "Son of Prongs?" George stuttered in disbelief. "I do believe dear brother that it is time that we come to a decision."

"I heartily agree brother of mine. Gred I think it is time that young Harry here receives his proper inheritance."

"Forge I agree. Young Harry I do believe we have come to a consensus." George began.

"Harry we would like to present you with your father's creation, the Marauders Map. May you use it well."

"We will miss it. After all that was the key to all of our most amazing achievements." George actually wiped away a tear at that last statement.

Harry was thoroughly enjoying the little act the two were putting on while Hermione was trying to hold in her laughter at how outrageous the twins were being. "Well the New Marauders would like to thank you for the return of their property and Prongs Jr. in particular. Now I do believe it is our turn to congregate and decide what to do about the two new applicants to the New Marauders. So if you would please give us a moment." The twins quickly backed up a few feet as Harry and Hermione put their heads together. "So newest member of the New Marauders what is your opinion of the two applicants?"

Hermione was still having a hard time to not bust out laughing. "Harry why are you talking like that?"

"Miss newest member this is the official dialect of the Marauders and as such has continued on in the New Marauders." Harry told her in a mock affronted voice.

Hermione quickly straightened up and played along. After all it seemed like fun. "Well Mister senior member of the New Marauders, I would like to endorse their application. The reasons as such are these two. First they have assisted the New Marauders most successfully in a prank on the entire school as well as a retribution prank on one Severus Snape. Second, they have found and returned a precious Marauder artifact that has been thought to be lost to time."

"Interesting points Miss newest member. I agree. Mister Weasley and Mister Weasley if you would step forward please." Both Weasleys stepped up to stand in front of Harry and Hermione. "After careful consideration with my college we have come to a decision. Welcome to the New Marauders."

"Yes!" Shouted George and Fred as the jumped into the air and high fived each other.

"Now I do believe that the both of you have someplace to be." Harry said as he held the map out to the twins.

"Wait, you're giving it back? Right after we just gave it to you?" Fred asked.

"As Marauders you have full use of any Marauder artifacts. Including the Marauders Map." Harry said.

The twins looked at each other before breaking out in identical grins. "Sweet. Thanks."

"Harry what about our names?" George asked. "Shouldn't we be receiving code names as Marauders?"

"Well actually you don't get your names until you find out your animagus forms. In fact none of us have names yet. I think you are about to partake on your first official Marauder mission. While you are out I need you to go out to the green houses and grab five leaves from mandrakes. I'll explain why tomorrow." The twins both saluted and headed out the portrait hole.

"Harry why do you need mandrake leaves?" Hermione asked once they were alone again.

"Well that is how we find out what our animagus forms are. Unfortunately it will still take a month. But our conversations tonight were rather interesting with the whole 'Mister senior member' and the 'Miss newest member'. Besides Lynn and I have been wanting to do this for a while but dad wouldn't let us have any of his leaves and uncle Sirius said we were too young and that becoming animagi could wait until we were older. We won't actually be able to become animagi until the end of our third year at the earliest. It takes a long time to learn to become an animagus. All these leaves will do is allow us to find out what our forms will be."

"So you mean we can't choose?" Hermione asked a little crestfallen.

"No. According to uncle Sirius it is based on who we are. Which makes me wonder why they never asked themselves why Pettigrew's form was a rat. Don't look so upset Hermione. After all your form will be just as amazing as you." Harry told her. Hermione immediately blushed as she looked up at her best friend. "Come on, I think it's time to get to bed even though it's Saturday tomorrow we still have our workout in the morning. With that Hermione gave Harry a good night hug and headed up to bed.

The next morning the trio got up nice and early to get started on their morning routine. The workout went longer and harder then they usually do since they missed the previous day. Hermione in particular pushed herself almost to the breaking point. She new she was improving but the two boys always seemed to stay far ahead and she was determined to catch up as fast as she could. She was on the ground nursing her calves as the other two continued on sparing. When the two finished Harry noticed a few winces that past across her face. He quickly gave her a disappointed look before turning to his brother telling him to go on ahead and that they would meet up with him in the common room before going down to breakfast. Merlyn glanced over at Hermione and then brought his eyes back to his brother and gave him a sly smile before agreeing. Harry then went over to Hermione and took a seat next to her. Hermione heard him sit down but didn't look at him, she had already seen the look of disappointment on his face and didn't want to see it again.

"Hermione," Harry said before taking a deep breath and continuing, "why are you doing this?"

"What do you mean?" She asked still keeping her eye's firmly on her calf.

"You are pushing yourself to hard. I mean look at you. You can't even walk. Why?"

"Harry," Hermione said as she finally looked over to him and what she saw made her take in a sharp breath. Harry didn't look disappointed anymore, he looked concerned. "I'm sorry. It's just... look I am so far behind you two that I just want to catch up. I figured the best way to do that is to push myself. Isn't that what you are supposed to do? Go farther and harder every day?"

"Yes, but not to the point where you end up like this." Harry let out exasperated. He got back up and Hermione looked away thinking he was going to head back up to the school when she saw him walk in front of her and kneel down. Harry picked up her leg and began massaging her calf. Even if she wasn't as fit as he was that was still no reason for her to push herself like this, but then again this was Hermione. What was so important about measuring up to him? Moments after Harry's hands were on her calf relief spread across her face.

"Besides," Hermione said her face no longer one of pain, "maybe I just like these massages." This caused Harry's head to shoot up and look into Hermione's chocolate brown eyes.

'Did she just flirt with me? No. Why would she. But maybe...' Harry thought unable to take his eyes from hers. "You know you could just ask. It might be that I like giving you massages." Harry replied with a flirtatious smirk. He might not automatically revert to Sirius like behavior like Merlyn did but that didn't mean that he didn't pay attention when his uncle did his thing.

Hermione's eyes almost burst from their sockets. 'Did Harry just flirt? With me!?' Getting her beating heart back under control she decided to see just how far she could take this. It wasn't like she had much experience with flirting but... "Be careful what you ask for Harry. You just might get it." There that sounded good, after all she had read her fair share of romance novels. What would he do now.

Harry was not expecting that at all. Hermione was flirting with him! But they were best friends why would she be? Well if she wanted to play like this he wouldn't be the first to back down. He closed his eyes and stopped massaging her calf for a few seconds.

When Harry stopped massaging and closed her eyes Hermione was worried that she had gone to far. "Harry? Is everything okay?"

Harry opened his eyes again and continued rubbing down Hermione's calf. "Oh, I was just making a wish." He said giving her a wink causing Hermione to open and close her mouth not knowing what to say. He was flirting with her! 'What should I do!? Come on Hermione say something! The boy you are crushing on is bloody flirting with you! Don't screw it up!' Hermione yelled internally.

"Oh, is that so? Well is there something I could do to help this particular wish come true?" She asked. It was now Harry's turn to look flabbergasted.

Harry quickly schooled his features before grinning back at Hermione. "Well you could start by rolling up your pant leg." Hermione now had a full on blush. Her heat was now racing. She didn't say anything but started rolling up her pant leg to reveal her thigh. "No! Um, I meant your other one so I could start working on your other calf." Harry got out with a stutter. His face now burning bright red realizing what he had just said and then the burning got even worse when he realized that she had actually still revealed her thigh. When Harry finally gained control of himself again he moved over to her other calf. When he noticed that her pant leg was rolled up high enough to match her other one he felt like he might burst into fire. 'This was getting out of hand! Wasn't it? Why would she... could she be... why am I... NO! Bad Harry!' Harry berated himself. 'After all why would she... I mean there is no way she would want... What do I do now!?' Harry continued this train of thought as they both sat in silence Harry rubbing down her now exposed calf. Neither one could bring themselves to look at the other in any more than a fleeting glance.

When Harry was done Hermione's legs were, as they usually did after one of Harry's massages, felt a lot better. She still couldn't meet Harry's eyes as she rolled down her pant legs and Harry helped her up. Hermione, out of habit, stood on her toes and went to press her lips against Harry's cheek in thanks.

Harry helped his best friend up. He hated this silence. He needed to find out what the flirting meant. After all it would all be better once it was out in the open right? "Herm..." was all he got out before Hermione's lips met his. Both Harry and Hermione were frozen with their lips connected.

When Hermione's lips touched Harry's she was stunned and shocked. She couldn't move. She didn't know what to do! After a few moments she slowly backed away, ready to explode with embarrassment. She had just kissed Harry on the lips! Hermione was now freaking out. What had she just done!? Before Harry could even utter a single syllable she ran. She ran as fast as she could leaving a dazed and unmoving Harry in her wake. She ran as fast as she could back up to Gryffindor tower. When she ran through the portrait hole she bowled right into Merlyn. Being a Saturday it was still early enough that no one else was up.

"Hermione!? What's wrong? What happened? Where's Harry?" Merlyn started shooting question after question. Hermione's face was so red that if someone had put red paint on her face you wouldn't be able to tell.

Hermione couldn't catch her breath she had no idea what she was going to do! She just kissed Harry! "I...kiss...when...I" Was all she got out before Merlyn helped her up and guided her to one of the common room's arm chairs.

"Calm down Hermione. Take a deep breath. I'll be right back. Just stay here and catch your breath." His worry dissipated a bit when he heard the word kiss, however he still needed to know what happened. He quickly went up to his dorm and ran to his trunk to grab a calming draught. He was so happy his dad gave them some when uncle Sirius mentioned that sometimes exams could get to you and that a calming draught was the perfect cure. Now this wasn't for an exam but he felt it was definitely worth a draught. He ran back down to Hermione. "Hermione I need you to drink this." He said. Hermione didn't say a word and just downed whatever it was that Merlyn had handed her. It took a few minutes but Hermione finally was able to calm down, physically at least. Her mind was still going a mile a minute. "Hermione, please, tell me what happened."

"Lynn, I... I kissed Harry." Hermione barely got out. " I mean I didn't mean to but then I just..."

"Whoa. Hold on a minute why don't you start at the beginning." Merlyn said trying to calm her down further. She was no longer about to have a heart attack but she still was very distressed. A few deep breaths later Hermione told him about everything that happened after he left. "So you just ran off?" Hermione just nodded. "Well shit." Merlyn said making Hermione tear up. "No Hermione. I mean it is just a crazy situation. Look you need to talk to Harry. But why don't you let me talk to him first. Alright?" Hermione just nodded, she didn't know what to do. She just royally screwed up and now she needed to fix this before she lost one of the first friends she ever had not to mention the fact that said boy was her crush. "Now why don't you go on up to your dorm and get ready for breakfast I'll go find Harry. By the time we all meet up here everything will be just fine. Alright?" Merlyn asked. 'Whew, what the bloody hell am I supposed to do? I guess I'll find out when I find Harry.' Merlyn thought to himself as he watched a destroyed Hermione head up to the girls dormitory. With a deep breath he headed out the portrait hole to find his brother.

Harry was still trying to work out what just happened when his brother ran up to him. The sight of his brother brought him out of his thoughts. "Lynn what are you doing here?" Harry asked still a little out of it.

"Hermione." Merlyn deadpanned.

"Shit! Hermione!" Harry shouted as his brain finally seemed to reboot. He needed to find Hermione! Unfortunately for him the moment he tried to rush off to the castle he was tackled by his brother.

"Hold on there lover boy! That is not what you need to do." Merlyn tried to reason with Harry but his brother was having none of it.

"No! You don't understand..."

"Oh yes I do! Hermione told me everything." Merlyn told a frantic Harry. "Listen calm down and lets talk for a minute. Hermione will be waiting for us in the common room I promise."

"She... we... kissed! But we... and then..." Harry was having a hard time getting things out and Merlyn was feeling a little stupid for not bringing down a calming draught.

"Harry calm down! Breathe!" Merlyn yelled. God this was Hermione all over again. Harry took a few deep breaths and and finally Merlyn let go of him and let him sit up. "Look Harry, Hermione just got done telling me everything. So why don't you tell me what happened from your point of view."

And Harry did. He couldn't understand it. Yes they flirted but the kiss? They were best friends. And then the kiss. After a bit of stuttering and getting a little sidetracked here and there he finally got out his side of the story.

"Well I have to say uncle Sirius will be proud." Merlyn said trying to lighten the brooding mood his brother was in. It didn't seem to work as well as he had hoped. "Alright I'll cut the comedy. So I guess we should talk about Hermione then huh." Well Merlyn's attempt at not making this awkward just failed. "So... now what?"

"I don't know."

"Well why were you flirting with Hermione in the first place?" Merlyn asked trying to feel out his brother.

"Well I thought she was flirting and so I just kind of went along with it. I mean it's not like Hermione actually likes me that way or anything. Besides it was fun." Harry answered.

"You know I think our uncle is a bad influence on us." That got Harry to laugh in agreement. "But when it comes to Hermione, look she doesn't want me to tell you this, but yes she does. She likes you Harry."

"What!? But why!? How!? When!?" Harry nearly shouted.

"Yep, I have no idea, um don't know how to answer that one, and for a while now. Does that answer your questions?" Merlyn said.

"But it was just supposed to be a bit of harmless flirting...and now? What do I do Lynn?"

"Well I guess the first thing to do is find out how you feel about Hermione. I mean do you like her? And let me tell you now that the reason she didn't want me to tell you was because she didn't want you to like her just because she likes you. But between you and me I simply think she was afraid you didn't like her. So?"

"I don't know. I mean I shouldn't be feeling these things. Should I? I mean I know you like this Ginny girl but you have always been weird."

"Hey!" Merlyn shouted in mock outrage punching his brother in the shoulder. "Well before we get into what you should or shouldn't be feeling, why don't you tell me how you feel."

"I don't know." Harry replied truly not sure of how he felt about Hermione.

"Okay well I think I have a little test. You like flying yes?" Harry nodded having no idea why his brother was bringing this up. "Well do you enjoy flying more when you are flying alone or have Hermione with you."

"With Hermione but I have more fun when we fly together then when I fly alone too, so what is the point."

"Well first off when we fly together we are on different brooms. So would you prefer to fly with me or Hermione?"

"Well it depends but I would enjoy it more with Hermione. I...I think that I like her." Harry said coming to the realization that he really did like his best friend. "So... what do I do? I mean should I even like a girl? I mean I am only eleven, and you don't count!"

"Well I can think of one other eleven year old who was in love. And hey the guy even married the girl he fell in love with." Merlyn said with a grin but that fell away when Harry's face showed that he wasn't following. "Don't you remember a certain story uncle Sirius told us. About your mother and father." And the proverbial light bulb just switched on.

"Oh, well, what do I do now? I mean I think that I royally screwed things up." Harry said a little depressed.

"Well I think I have an idea but you will probably want to do it soon. Namely before everyone else wakes up." When Harry nodded Merlyn continued on to tell him his plan. Harry was a bit wary about it until Merlyn offered to take the fall if it didn't work. Merlyn was sure this would solve the short term problem and the long term one could be figured out once Harry and Hermione could look at each other again. Ah the work of a brother is never done.

It was shortly after that both Merlyn and Harry made their way back through the portrait hole and into the Gryffindor common room. The room was empty save for a nervous Hermione sitting on a couch waiting for them. She didn't even notice Merlyn her eyes set on Harry. She needed to explain what happened. She didn't want to loose her best friend. So when she saw Harry enter the common room she summoned up all of her Gryffindor courage and got up and walked over to him. "Harry I can mmph." Was all she got out before Harry pressed his lips to hers.

Hermione was in a state of shock and bliss. Harry was kissing her. Harry was kissing her! HARRY WAS KISSING HER! 'What do I do!? What do I do!?' Hermione's brain had short circuited. When the kiss finally ended, which was far too soon for her opinion, she tried to say something but all that came out was a breathless "Wow".

"Well I need a shower." Harry said but quickly decided to clarify when he heard his brother snicker. "I am still all sweaty from our workout. I'll be quick. And we can talk later okay, say on a flight?" Hermione still couldn't find her voice and so just nodded slowly as Harry went upstairs. It took a few minutes before Hermione realized that she wasn't alone in the common room.

"Merlyn! Harry kissed me!" Hermione shouted as she started dancing around the room in glee. Merlyn watched her dance around the room. 'I hope Ginny isn't like this. You know on second thought I would be okay with it.' Merlyn thought a smile coming to his face.

Even with everything that happened they were still the first Gryffindors that arrived at the Great Hall for breakfast. Hermione didn't steal from Harry's plate today but Harry hadn't forgotten and gave Hermione a smile as he slid a piece of bacon from his plate to hers. Hermione giggled and blushed at the gesture. She hadn't forgotten either. They were almost finished with their breakfast when they were interrupted by the two new Marauders.

"Hello fellow mischief makers." Fred greeted.

"We bring forth gifts." George added as they pulled out a small package of five leaves.

Harry's attention was still on Hermione and hers was likewise on him, but Merlyn certainly noticed the leaves, "Are those what I think they are?"

"Oh most definitely our fellow Marauder." George began.

"Mandrake leaves my good man." Fred finished.

"Wait." Merlyn stopped. "What do you mean 'fellow Marauder'?"

"We were inducted by your brother and the young Granger last night." Fred answered.

"I take it that you have yet to be informed of such a development?" Asked George.

"No I was not but we have had a busy morning. But may I say welcome to our ranks." Merlyn said causing the twins to smile. "Now I think we should get to these little beauties."

"What are they for?"

"Another prank perhaps?"

"Oh no this is the first step to becoming an animagus. And we can't have our Marauder names until such time as we know what our forms shall be. I suggest we find someplace quiet to discuss this. Shall we gentlemen and lady." Merlyn suggested receiving a round of nods from everyone. The mention of animagi caused both of the twins to gape as they looked down at the leaves. The twins led the way to a small secret passageway near the library. "I've got to ask where did you get these?"

"Greenhouse three. You won't get to it until next year." George informed the first years.

Merlyn started passing out the leaves. Harry and Merlyn put theirs into their mouths and started moving them about. "What are you two doing?" Hermione asked, her curiosity powering over her thoughts of her upcoming talk with Harry.

"This is the first step to becoming animagi. You have to keep the leaf in your mouth for a month. For the entire month you should dream that you are in a very heavy fog and then around the end of the thirty days an animal will appear in your dreams and that animal is your animagus form."

The twins were now looking askance at Harry and Merlyn. "You mean to say that we can't ever take the leaf out of our mouths? Even to sleep or eat?" The twins asked together.

"That's right. You see the oils from the leaf are what give you the dreams and it takes about a month for the concentration to build up in your system. If you were to simply extract the oil and take it that way you would become very sick. Uncle Sirius warned us about it. So best find a spot to make it as comfortable as possible." Harry told them. Hermione and the twins then put their leaves into their mouths and started moving them about to try and find a spot for them where they could still eat and drink. "I would suggest putting them against your cheek." It took a little more maneuvering but eventually everyone seemed to get the leaves into an acceptable position.

"Oh and little Harrikens we also have this for you." George said, still trying to get used to the leaf, and handed over the map.

"Thanks. You know normally I wouldn't mind you lot holding on to it but as it used to belong to my father..." Harry said.

"No need to explain Harry." George started.

"We completely understand." Fred finished.

"Now I think we should lay off the pranks until we finish with the leaves. They are a little annoying and with them classes and quidditch will be bad enough without a prank on our minds." When Harry received nods from the rest of the group they left the secret passage and went about their day. "Oh and one more thing you two can't tell anyone about this." Harry added to the twins.

The rest of the day passed without much trouble, but those bloody leaves would take a bit to get used to. When it started getting dark Harry and Hermione made their way down to the quidditch pitch. They hadn't said much to each other all day besides sending each other furtive glances. They didn't really know what to say and it got a little awkward. Even Merlyn noticed the difference. He simply hoped that the two would sort it all out during their flight.

"Well..." Harry started but wasn't sure where to go from there.

"Yes...um..."Hermione said having the same problem as Harry. "This is absolutely ridiculous!" Hermione nearly shouted in frustration making Harry jump. "I mean you're my best friend. We should be able to talk to each other!" This seemed to make Harry relax after her first outburst, however Hermione just got more wound up. Harry couldn't think of anything else to do so he did what his uncle Sirius did when his auntie Em got excited. He closed the distance between them and kissed her. The kiss lasted a little while as the tension seemed to drain out of Hermione. Once again she was left rather breathless. "Wow." She breathed out. "Sorry Harry." She apologized.

"Hermione it's fine. I think we should just talk and then we can decide what to do." Harry said before reaching out and taking Hermione's hand. Hermione looked at their clasped hands with a smile before meeting Harry's eyes and nodding. A silence then came as neither knew what to say. It lasted a few minutes until Harry just came out and said it, "Hermione I like you and was wondering if you would...if you would be my...girlfriend?" Harry's voice got quieter and quieter as he went on.

"Yes!" Hermione immediately shouted before reigning herself in. "I mean I would love to be your girlfriend." Hermione said in a much quieter voice causing Harry to give her that grin of his that made her melt.

"Well I was thinking that maybe instead of flying tonight maybe we could just sit and watch the stars for a while. Would that be alright?" Harry asked, and when Hermione nodded her assent they made their way to the center of the pitch and laid down next to each other with their hands still clasped tight together. They just lay there in silence for a bit until Hermione brought up being an animagus.

"So what animal do you think you will be?" She asked Harry to break the silence.

"Well I don't know but I think I would like to be a stag like my father. How about you?"

"I'm not sure. So long as I am not a bug I think I will be happy with anything."

Their conversation continued on as they became more and more comfortable with each other. After an hour they were both walking back up to the castle hand in hand and laughing loudly. They were suggesting different animal forms for their friends. A few of the suggestions were of the twins being weasels or foxes, but the best ones were about Merlyn. Thinking of Merlyn as a wet fish or a poodle kept them laughing for a good long time. By the time they reached Gryffindor they were in near hysterics. When they entered the common room and saw their fellow Marauders they burst into laughter once again. Before the others could say anything Hermione gave Harry a peck on the cheek and went up to bed. She has had quite the day after all. After the two went up to bed Merlyn turned to the twins and asked, "What just happened?" The twins simply shrugged not knowing what happened themselves.

Over the next couple of weeks things seemed to calm down for the Marauders. Hermione and Harry got more comfortable with their new status as boyfriend and girlfriend and had found that nothing really changed between them other than acknowledging how they felt with a few added displays of affection such as holding hands or a kiss on the cheek. They did go flying together after Harry's quidditch practices which were becoming easier due to the fact that Harry would spend extra time flying and getting used to being on a broom for long periods of time. He was still covered in sweat after each practice however. One thing that the entire school was looking forward to was the new quidditch season. Which, luckily for the new couple, was the main reason the rumor mill hadn't spread the word that Harry and Hermione were now together. All the talk was about the upcoming quidditch match between Gryffindor and Slytherin.

Finally the morning of the match arrived, and Harry and Merlyn received a surprise when they crossed the Entrance Hall. Standing in front of the doors to the castle were John and Maria Ashwood, accompanied by their Aunt Minerva. "Mom! Dad!" The two shouted as they ran over to give their parents a hug. "What are you doing here?" Harry asked with his arms still around his mom.

"Can't we come see our son play his first game of quidditch? And who is this?" Maria asked noticing Hermione, who came over with her sons.

"Mom, dad, this is my girlfriend, Hermione Granger." Harry told his parents. This was news to the Ashwoods. They had of course heard about their son's new friend but Harry had never mentioned that they had become a couple.

"Oh is that so? Well it is a pleasure to meet you Hermione. I am Maria, and this is my husband John." Maria said extending her hand towards the girl. Hermione looked incredibly nervous as she took Maria's hand.

"It is a pleasure to meet you Mrs. Ashwood." Hermione said. Maria gave the girl an appraising look. Hermione didn't seem like a bad girl but she thought that Harry was far too young to be dating. She would have to talk to John about it later.

After everyone was introduced Merlyn turned to his parents and asked, "Did Uncle Sirius or Auntie Em come?"

"They didn't come with us but they should be here soon." John told his sons making them smile. Just as he said that Sirius and Emily came striding into the Entrance Hall.

"Uncle Sirius! Auntie Em!" yelled the two boys as they ran over to their favorite aunt and uncle.

"Hey Pups! How have you been? We haven't heard from you in a while." Sirius greeted.

"We great! In fact Harry's got a girlfriend." Merlyn told his uncle.

"Oh? And who is the lucky girl?" Sirius asked.

"I am." Hermione said stepping up beside Harry. "I'm Hermione Granger."

"Well I must admit you are definitely your fathers son. You know he knew that Lily was the one from the moment he saw her on the train." Sirius said with a laugh causing Hermione to blush scarlet.

"Sirius!" Emily hissed. "Stop it. Your embarrassing the poor girl." This just caused Sirius to laugh louder. "Men." Emily huffed. "Well I am very pleased to meet you Hermione. Maybe you can keep this troublemaker in line." Emily told the girl with a smile causing Hermione to blush even more. Hermione didn't really feel like informing her that she was helping with Harry's trouble making.

The group made their way into the Great Hall for breakfast. John and Maria were looking around in amazement at all the magic and wonder of the castle. "So Sirius any luck in finding your friend?" John asked.

"No. I haven't been able to find him. I was hoping to ask Dumbledore if he has any ideas where Remus could be."

"How would he know?" John asked wondering how the headmaster could possibly know where to find Sirius's long lost friend.

"Oh, he has ears and eyes all over the place. Very little happens in the wizarding world without him learning about it. I haven't spoken to him since I got out of Azkaban. I have to admit that my fondness for the old man has dwindled ever since you told me what he did to my godson."

The group sat down to a rather hearty breakfast and caught up with each other. Maria spent most of the time chatting with her son's new girlfriend. She had to admit by the end of their conversation that she was quite warming up to the young girl, and even offered an invitation to her and her family to visit during the upcoming Christmas holidays. Eventually it was time for Harry to make his way down to the changing rooms at the pitch. Harry's parents told him that they would be sitting in the teachers box with his Aunt Minerva and wished him luck for his first game.

Down in the changing room Oliver Wood sat the entire team down and and gave them an enthusiastic pep talk before they headed out onto the pitch. Madame Hooch was the referee for the game and summoned the team captains. After winning the coin toss Wood decided to take the side of the pitch that was into the wind. And the game was on. The game went on for a time with the chasers and beaters getting a thorough workout, Harry however was circling the pitch not getting much action at all. This was Wood's plan after all, circle around, don't get noticed by the beaters and find the snitch. Harry was in the middle of one of his loops when his broom lurched underneath him.

In the stands Maria, Emily, John, and Sirius were watching their son and nephew when all of a sudden he went sideways almost becoming unseated. Then it happened again, and again, each lurch taking him higher and higher. "What the hell is going on!?" John asked never seeing a broom act that way before.

"I don't know. Harry's too good to loose control of his broom." Sirius said his eyes like the rest of the group's glued to Harry and his bucking broom. Harry's broom made another violent lurch and Harry fell to the side now hanging on with one hand. "Holy shit!" Everyone yelled out and jumping up, Sirius grabbed his wand. When they jumped up they knocked over a lot of the professors. They watched helplessly as Harry scrambled back onto his broom and breathed a collective sigh of relief. Harry immediately took of racing to the ground. By now everyone in the stands was staring directly at the diving seeker. Harry pulled out of the dive barely a foot from the ground causing the entire audience to gasp and then roar as he held up a fluttering snitch in his hand. The family all fell back down in their seats out of sheer relief that Harry was alright.

When Harry left to head back up to the castle he was met by his family and Hermione right outside the changing rooms. The entire group ran towards him but Hermione was the first to get to him. "You stupid git!" She yelled right before punching him in the gut. Harry bent over not able to say anything before the wind got knocked from his lungs. Hermione then pulled his head up and into a searing kiss. Everyone was stunned from the moment Hermione punched Harry but when she pulled him into a kiss all of the adults looked at each other before saying in unison, "I like her!" which in turn caused them all to chuckle.

When Hermione finally released a breathless Harry, who's breathlessness had nothing to do with the punch to the gut, she wrapped him in a hug. "Please don't scare me like that again!" She whispered. Harry now back in control of his faculties after the onslaught to his senses wrapped his arms around his girlfriend. They stayed like that for a while as rest of the group watched while smiling. They gave the couple their time, of course the adults were simply enjoying the show. "Sorry about the punch I just..." Hermione started but her voice dropped away before she could finish.

"It's okay." Harry told her. "Just please not so hard next time." That caused Hermione and everyone else to laugh. "But now you are definitely going to be joining us during our sparing sessions." That just caused Hermione to giggle more and nod into the crook of Harry's neck. Unfortunately for the boys Maria heard what Harry just said.

"What was that?" Maria asked arching her eyebrows. "I think think that is a great idea. And speaking of your little training sessions," The two boys then grew very worried. They most certainly didn't like the tone in their mom's voice. "Since we have a few hours until lunch why don't we get a nice little workout in. I want to see if you two have been keeping up with your training." Hermione felt Harry tense up and ended the hug only to see a rather scared look on his face. When she looked back at the rest of the group she saw that while the adults were smiling, Merlyn looked like his day just took a very nasty turn.

A half hour later Hermione and the rest of the adults were watching Harry and Merlyn getting their arses handed to them by Maria. The adults were looking on as if this was normal. Hermione, who had watched the two practice everyday and thought that they were amazing, was flabbergasted at what she was witnessing. Their mom was out of this world, neither Harry or Merlyn were able to land even one hit. Every time one of them was thrown to the ground they just got right back up and kept trying. After an hour of this Maria called an end to it. By then the boys were covered in bruises and small cuts.

When they entered the Great Hall they were met by their Aunt Minerva. "Would someone care to explain why these two are covered in cuts and bruises. I am certain you were not in this condition after the game Harry."

"Mom wanted to see if we were keeping up with her training." Harry answered breathlessly.

Minerva gave an exasperated sigh. After she got onto them about taking their training too far a month ago she had hoped that she wouldn't receive any more tongue lashings from Poppy about allowing her students to get into such a state. "Very well why don't we make our way to the hospital wing." Minerva said as she guided them in the right direction. "Maria, can't you go a bit easier on them? At least at school, I am going to get an earful for letting them get all beaten up again."

"It was just a little spar Minerva. If they had been keeping up with their training as they should have they wouldn't be so beat up." Maria answered. "I'll explain everything to... Poppy was it. I'll make sure she knows it was my doing."

When they entered the hospital wing the boys were immediately set upon by a very disgruntled Madame Pomfrey. "Mr. Potter! Mr. Ashwood! What did I tell you about fighting!? Both of you up on the beds this instant!"

"Poppy this is Mr. and Mrs. Ashwood." Minerva informed her.

"How do you do, I would offer to shake your hand but at the moment I am a little busy dealing with your children. Maybe you can talk some sense into them because apparently I haven't been able to penetrate their thick skulls. This muggle dueling that they insist on performing is just absolutely ridiculous." Poppy went on hoping that this silly nonsense would be put to an end.

"Actually, Poppy, I am the one who did this." Maria informed. Unfortunately she wasn't able to continue as Madame Pomfrey jumped in and began reading her the riot act.

"Excuse me!? You beat your children!? Out! Out! Minerva how could you allow this woman anywhere near these children!? I will be speaking to the Headmaster about this!"

"Poppy calm down!" Minerva said raising her voice to cut Poppy off.

"Poppy is it?" Maria asked a little irate at the accusation that she beat and abused her children.

"Madame Pomfrey to you." Poppy answered unhappy that this woman was still here.

"First, Madame Pomfrey, I do not beat my children! Secondly they practice self defense not what ever this muggle dueling is, and bruises are a part of the practice. I started teaching them years ago and told them to continue while they were here at school. So you will not berate my children over this. Do I make myself clear." Maria told the matron sternly. No one dared to contradict her when she used that tone. It was a mistake you only made once.

"Minerva..."

"Poppy this is their mother and as such is well within her rights to teach her children however she sees fit. I myself have seen these training sessions and their home life. I can guarantee that they are not being abused and that I have rarely seen better parents than John and Maria. I know that this is out of the ordinary for such an activity to be allowed here at the school but they take great care to not do any actual harm to each other during their practice sessions. Their activities have been approved of by me and although I may not like the idea of my students fighting this is not done to harm but as a form of exercise. I am sure John and Maria can explain in greater detail before they floo home later today but right now I think that everyone could do with a good lunch."

"Very well but I expect both of you back here before the end of the day." Poppy told the so called parents before returning to her office in a huff.

"Sorry about that Maria, but Poppy takes the safety and health of the students to a new level. And these two have been in here far more than any other student at the school. She only reacted this way because she cares for them." Minerva said trying to sooth her friend.

"I suppose but that woman basically accused me of abusing my children." Maria snapped back. "Sorry Minerva. I know that you don't deserve that but..."

"I completely understand Maria. Why don't we head to the Great Hall and grab some lunch." Minerva said as she led everyone out of the hospital wing.

When everyone was sitting down at the Gryffindor table and piling their plates with food Sirius noticed that the three kids were looking at their foods with a bit of disdain. "What's wrong? Did the house elves rebel and start serving bad food or something?"

"What?" Hermione asked.

"Well you lot should be starving but you look as though you would rather go another round with Maria than eat. Whats up?" Sirius asked. By this time the rest of the group were now looking at the trio in confusion. The food was actually pretty good so why were they not eating.

Merlyn swished the leaf in his mouth so that it was now clamped between his front teeth and pulled his lips back. "The food tastes kind of like shit after a few weeks of this thing in your mouth." He said after he moved the leaf back to his cheek. Sirius was now laughing and wondering just how the three of them got their hands on a mandrake leaf. John new what that leaf was on sight and just buried his face in his hands. Maria wasn't sure what the leaf was or what it did and Minerva was looking at the three with a look of utter bewilderment.

"Just where did you three get your hands on mandrake leaves!? And why do you have them in your mouths!?" Minerva asked accusingly. She knew full well what this meant but had no idea how these three found out about how to become an animagus. After all the subject wasn't taught until third year and the trio weren't even half way through their first.

"Um we can't say where we got them. And as for what we are doing with them, we are finding out what our animagus forms are. I mean we aren't planning to become animagi yet. We know how dangerous it is but from what we've read there isn't any real danger from just finding out what form we will take." Harry said trying to placate his aunt. Minerva was stunned at what they were doing. While she knew what holding a mandrake leaf in your mouth for an extended period of time was for she didn't actually think that they would know about it. Let alone do it. "Well it's not really too bad. After all we only have a few more weeks to go before we should finally be done with them and we will finally be able to enjoy our food again." Harry said as he began eating. They all let the matter drop as there was no rule about it at school and if John or Maria told them to stop they would simply put the leaves back in after they left and would have to start the whole month over again. That and there really wasn't any danger in letting them continue.

"Very well but you will not do anything else regarding becoming animagi without coming to me first. Is that understood?" Minerva told them sternly and all three nodded knowing full well not to cross Professor McGonagall.

It was almost nine at night before the trio made there way up to Gryffindor tower after leaving their visitors. They spent most of the rest of the day showing Harry and Merlyn's parents around the castle. John was in a constant state of amazement during almost the entire tour. Maria made sure to remind Hermione about the invitation to join them over the Christmas Holidays before the trio went up to the Gryffindor tower and the adults went to the hospital wing for their meeting with Madame Pomfrey.

"God I really hate this leaf!" Merlyn let out as they went through the portrait hole.

"I know how you feel I haven't been able to properly taste my food in over a week." Hermione said. "You know if I am going to begin joining your little sparing sessions I should really get some sleep. Goodnight." Hermione made sure to give Harry a peck on the cheek before going up to her dorm. With Harry almost dying and then meeting his parents she felt as if she really needed the sleep.

"Well I think Hermione has the right idea. I might not be all bruised and cut up anymore but I am still sore as hell. How about you?" Merlyn asked.

"Yeah, bed sounds really good right about now." Harry agreed as the two boys made their way up to their own dormitory.

 **A/N: I hope you all enjoyed the chapter.**

 **Please Review and let me know what you think.**

 **Thank you.**


	15. notice

**Hello everyone. I have finally finished with my shows and am now back to writing. However my hiatus gave me a lot of time to think and i have come to the decision that certain choices and pairings that i have made in this story don't really work, at least not for me at this particular time. I have not given up on this story but i have decided to follow where my new plan lies. I have thought about simply continuing this story and making the changes in the story's future but it just doesn't feel right to do so.**

 **I hope that you will all read my new version of the story. It is called "A Friend And Family Can Change Everything". It will be the same for roughly the first nine chapters or so with minor changes but there will be significant changes after that. I hope that you all enjoy the new story as much as you enjoyed this one. I promise that once my inspiration comes back for this story i will continue it but until then i will be working on this new version.**

 **Sincerely**

 **Newbie89**


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